Between Silver and Snow
by My Hopeless Romantic
Summary: DISCONTINUED. #1
1. Blatant Truths & Unpleasant Impressions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gakuen Alice. All rights and privileges to this awesome manga belong to Tachibana Higuchi. : )

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**Chapter 1.** _Blatant Truths and Unpleasant Impressions_

_-:-  
_

Clouds were a strange thing.

Especially on a day as beautiful as the day everything seemed to change. There were bright rays of sunlight streaming through transparent plates of glass, the brush of leaves against the ashen sidewalk and the gentle winds that promised a cool, refreshing start.

Walking along the sidewalk with her book bag over one shoulder, the clouds seemed to darken upon her steps and the trees seemed to want to wilt within a five meter radius of the girl. Flying brown locks seemed to dance in the air as the wind picked up but the rhythmic, almost ballerina steps, light as a feather were like echoing knocks on a hollow skull.

Through bright brown eyes, Mikan Sakura saw the world in nothing but pink. She didn't bother to wonder why it felt strangely cold for the first day of September. Nor did she ask why there were already shriveled up flowers by her feet as she walked to school. It was the way of the world. Winter would cause all of the plants and green shrubbery to die away but come spring, all of them would be blooming brighter and healthier than before. She convinced herself the darkening of the sky, that a moment before had been bright and sunny, was caused by the coming of winter. They'd have to turn the clock forward one hour to make up for the missing light, she thought.

"Good morning, Sakura-san! Had a nice walk?" asked a dimply boy that sat a few rows away from her in class.

Mikan nodded emphatically and clasped her hands together behind her back, "Yeah! It was really sunny out and everything was beautiful! I can't wait for school to be over so I can play in the sunlight before winter comes! How 'bout you?"

He shared her enthusiasm and Mikan was well on her way to school.

As she passed the slightly mossy gates of the school entrance, Mikan darted a smile at familiar faces and exchanged polite nods and greetings. Though she'd never been much of a scholar, Mikan loved to go to school. Seeing her friends there everyday and walking to and from school when the sun was shining always made a smile touch her lips and though she wasn't much to look at, her smile could make even the prettiest of girls just a little envious. Her eyes always twinkled with life and her bubbly personality could charm even the snootiest man. They just couldn't help it.

As she entered her classroom, she was bombarded by girls and boys, shouting her a _good morning!_ Then, they'd started talking all at once about something or other that she couldn't keep up with.

"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted instead, smiling at the class with a sparkling smile. The moment was cut short however when the teacher cleared her throat loudly. She was a stern old lady that tied her hair so tightly that she always managed to look like a cat with her eyes slanted and narrowed to slits. _That_ cleared her path to her desk.

Before she could settle into her chair, however, the intercom of the small classroom buzzed with announcement and the other students craned their ears to hear what the principal wanted to say. _"Would Miss Sakura please report to the principal's office?"_

The teacher narrowed her eyes at Mikan and the class held its breath when the teacher immediately let Mikan go, enjoying the small whispers and murmurs that started filling the air. Worriedly, Mikan stepped out of the classroom as quietly as she could and instantly started panicking to herself.

She didn't remember doing anything wrong for the past few days and even though she occasionally disrupted the class, accidentally; Mikan couldn't help but notice that her throat was dry and she had troubles swallowing. And though her grandfather loved to spoil her, he was quick to point out her faults and to teach her a lesson. Mikan could only imagine what he would say to her after being called down to the office.

Upon arriving at the intimidating oak double doors of the principal's office, she knocked politely and entered after hearing a muffled, "Come in."

She stepped into a dimly lit room and instantly settled her eyes upon the figure that was standing morosely in front of his windows, busy looking out upon the school grounds. Without letting her eyes dart around the room and infinitely aware of the butterflies within her belly, Mikan wet her lips. "Good morning, Headmaster. You wanted to speak to me?" she was surprised to hear her voice so calm.

The Headmaster had always been an intimidating creature with his immaculate suit and his hair slicked back. He always seemed to have a stern scowl on his face and she wondered immediately what he was going to do to her. Her stomach always seemed to fall apart until she could get away from his presence.

Something about the man had always unnerved her.

"Yes, Miss Sakura. Please take a seat," he drawled, gesturing with his head to the seat in front of his desk. He took the seat across from her and clasped his hands together, scrutinizing her innocent eyes with his. Mikan shifted uncomfortably. "Early this morning, I had a very _persistent_ caller wake me up and the news that came to me concerned you, Miss Sakura. Now, I won't beat around the bush and put icing on the cake but there is somebody here to speak to you and if I understand correctly, your grandfather has already consented, being your guardian, to whatever proposition that man in the corner will be giving you."

Her stomach dropping to her feet, Mikan turned her gaze away from the malicious sneer on the Headmaster's face to look behind her at a figure that she hadn't noticed. Biting her lip in confusion, Mikan scrutinized the young man with intrigue and exasperation. His apparel consisted of a silk, cream button-up shirt and a pair of slacks that defined his toned figure. When he stepped into the light, however, Mikan couldn't help but be in awe at the peculiar shade of purple that was his irises.

"Hello there," he said in a distinctly masculine voice, stopping just a meter away from her. He offered his hand for a handshake and Mikan, looking into the captivating purple eyes, couldn't control her hand if she tried from grasping the firm one that was proffered. "As you might've heard, you're grandfather has already consented but in order for you to come with us peacefully, we've decided to let you in on what we have in store for you, Mikan-chan," the man started casually. The offhand way he said that made a shiver of anxiety shift through her body and Mikan sunk back into the chair to get away from the man before her. "You're being transferred to our elite school: Alice Academy. It's a boarding school, so you won't get visits from your grandfather as much as you'd like but with our trained teachers and professional personnel, you'll get an upgraded education than anywhere else in Japan. This will ensure that your future leads to as many open doors as possible."

Wrinkling her nose, Mikan asked, "Why does this Academy want me?" She looked up at the startled man and explained, "I mean I know I'm not the smartest girl and the only thing I'm good at is gymnastics. So why does this _elite _school want me? And who are _you_?"

"My name is Narumi-sensei," Narumi said with a cheerful grin on his face. Offering a hand to pull her to her feet, Narumi nodded towards the Headmaster and turned to Mikan, answering, "I'll explain it on the way there but at the moment, we are very late for your meeting with the principal of Alice Academy and he's not a very patient man. Do you understand?"

Hesitantly, Mikan nodded and slipped her hand into the large one that was proffered. "You're certain that my grandfather agreed to this?" she asked to make certain.

Narumi nodded, laughing, "Well, if your belongings are anything to go by, then yes; he did. He packed your bags last night and we picked them up on the way here so let's go!"

Walking a distance away from him, Mikan easily caught the wrinkles of unease around his smile and the distracted shadow of his eyes that looked to have once been bright with adventure. Stepping into the long, black car, Mikan pulled on her seat belt and leaned back, turning to see Narumi-sensei ducking in, too. It was a long car ride and from the things that Narumi told her, Mikan understood that the place was probably filled with snobs. If his repetitions of 'elite' and 'powerful' and 'talented' and 'unique' were anything to go by, Mikan was _not _anticipating the welcome her untalented body presented to the school.

"I still don't understand why _I _was chosen to go to this school," she pointed out with a huff.

"It's a prestigious school for very _gifted_ individuals like you," Narumi informed her, emphasizing the word 'gifted' like it meant something more. She furrowed her brows and tried to press the subject but Narumi just smiled manically and told her that she _would see_. And despite all of his evasiveness, Mikan couldn't help but like his cheerful disposition. It was probably his charm or his contagious excitement but she found herself curious. What would the school be like? How would they treat her?

She gulped, wondering what on Earth she was getting herself into.

"We're _here_!" Narumi sang delightedly, pointing out the tinted window. The first thing Mikan saw were the big iron gates that were slowly grating open, leaving the entrance wide enough for only a single car to pass by and nothing more. The second thing was the wide expanse of property that immediately made itself visible for her viewing delight. The place was enormous and despite the feeling of apprehension, Mikan was delighted to see kids her age running and frolicking as they would in her old school.

Maybe they weren't as different as she'd expected.

If not for the fact that there were kids picking up _dancing _flowers and boys who were floating in the air and _wow, _even producing bubbles from one kid's bellybutton! Unable to tear her eyes from the scene, she asked without looking, "How can they—"

Narumi only smiled and said, "It'll all be explained soon."

Her excitement vanished and all she could find herself doing was wishing she'd put up a fight back at her old school.

Mikan walked a ways behind Narumi, following him begrudgingly. What could she do? She'd already gone with him thus far and trying to run away was futile. She didn't know her way around this part of Japan and he was the only person that she knew. She wasn't stupid enough to think that she could run the lengths of Japan back to her hometown without getting lost or getting caught.

Tugging at the cuffs of her school uniform, she was aware of the stares that wearing a different uniform brought along. Her uniform consisted of only black and white whereas this school's uniform consisted of uniforms that ranged from blues to reds to yellows. It was mind-boggling how they could discern who was who with so many different colors clashing.

She walked blindly, keeping her eyes solely on Narumi's back when they'd left the Academy school grounds and reached the almost deserted hallways safe for the strays that would blindly ogle her like she was a freak on some exhibition. Her skin crawled at the stares.

When she reached yet another pair of Headmaster doors, Mikan sighed and entered the room after Narumi's polite knocks and it was like she was in the Twilight Zone because there was yet another man standing in front of the windows, looking out upon the school grounds.

"She's here, sir," Narumi's voice interrupted the silence within the office. The Principal hummed his acknowledgement and after a pause, he turned around and Mikan couldn't help but let a breath of appreciation leave her mouth. He was an extremely handsome man. He had a mixture of blonde and light brown hair that gave him a natural, friendly aura and his eyes were a charming grey that looked to be of molten lava.

"Please take a seat, Miss Sakura," he said kindly, gesturing to the chair across from him after shaking her small hand. His voice sounded like rolling thunder, deep and distinctly male and a shiver ran down her spine at the familiarity of it. Though for the life of her, Mikan couldn't place where she'd heard it before.

She sat down obediently while Narumi stood and resting his hands on the armrests of his chair, the Principal smiled kindly and said, "How are you, Miss Sakura?"

Frowning, she bit her lip from making a rude remark and rearranging her thoughts, she started, "I'm confused, a little unhappy, apprehensive and feeling sick." She nodded to herself and looked up determinedly at the Principal who frowned and leaned to clasp his hands together on his desk.

"Well, are most of those feelings centered on the fact that you don't understand why you've been pulled into this… situation?" he asked kindly.

She sat up and nodded. "Yes, exactly! I've asked questions but all I've been given is 'you're special' or 'I'll explain soon' and yet, here I am still clueless to everything!"

Nodding with understanding, the Principal leaned back and upon slight hesitation, said, "Mikan-chan, do you know what an Alice is?"

"Well, yes," she replied with a confused expression on her face. "It's the name of a girl, isn't it? Like Alice in Wonderland?"

A chuckle burst from his lips and from the corner of her eyes, Mikan could see that Narumi seemed a little amused himself, though he seemed more surprised to hear the Principal laughing above all.

"Aside from that, I'm guessing that you don't know what Alices are," the Principal said with an amused smile on his face. "Well, this school, Alice Academy, is named because everybody in the school has an Alice."

"I don't have an Alice," Mikan piped up, slightly relieved and slightly disappointed. "I mean, I have my Grandpa and I have my friends Yuri-chan and Miki-cha—"

"No," the Principal laughed, shaking his head ruefully. "Alices are powers, Mikan-chan. All the students and teachers in the school have special powers that they were born with. Take Narumi-sensei, for instance. His Alice is Human Pheromone. He can make people, girl or boy, fall in love with him."

Mikan turned, gob smacked to look at Narumi who smiled impishly in return. "So that boy who made bubbles come from his bellybutton…"

"Alice."

"This is absolutely insane," Mikan murmured, shaking her head. "I don't believe you. This is all just a dream and I'll wake up if I just—"

She yelped after pinching herself and stared wide-eyed at the man before her. "What's your Alice?"

"I have the Alice of Recognition," he replied smoothly, sharing a smile with Narumi. "I can sense the origin of somebody's Alice by a touch or a picture."

"Then why am I here?" Mikan shouted, jumping to her feet. "I don't have special powers! I'm just an ordinary thirteen year old girl who likes to sing in the shower and can't solve a math problem to save her life! So why did you bring me here! I'm not special or talented!"

The sound of her ragged breathing was the only thing in the room and eyes ablaze, Mikan glared daggers at the Principal who smiled sadly and said, "That's not true, Mikan-chan. You are a very special girl."

"What are you talking about?" she hissed darkly.

"You have an Alice," he replied bluntly. "Or rather, two Alices: Nullification and SEC. Both rare and one that is highly dangerous."

Mikan looked between both men and seeing Narumi as surprised as she, Mikan glared at the Principal and snarled, "Don't lie to me! You didn't even know me before this and how could you kno—"

"I saw a picture of you."

"I don't believe this!" Mikan cried, "This is impossible!"

Dazed, Narumi flopped down in the seat that Mikan had just vacated and said tiredly, "It seems very real, actually." He looked over at Mikan with a tired smile, "I tried to use my Pheromone Alice to stop you from asking questions in the car but it didn't work. You probably nullified me subconsciously because you didn't trust me."

Looking between both men again, Mikan sat on the floor with her back against the door and narrowed her eyes at both men before her, "Say perhaps I did believe you. So I do have special powers. What does that have to do with you guys? Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

"It's dangerous for Alices as rare as yours to be drifting in civilization without being informed of how to act and control your Alices. There've been instances where many disasters occurred involving an Alice that went out of control. It's for the sake of the people around you that you care about that you're sent here to learn exactly how to control your Alices," Narumi said wearily, rubbing the back of his eyes.

"Nullification won't be much of an issue, though," Mikan pointed out, mentally applauding her wisdom.

"There are two sets of Alice Organizations. There are the good, that's us: we teach and show children how to control their Alices in order for them to be able to conceal and use their Alices without the detection of normal human beings. Then there's the other: The Anti-Alice Organization whose goal is to take down this facility in order to take over common civilization and to make normal human beings their slaves. We are the only things stopping bad Alices from taking over Japan and the world, for that matter," the Principal explained seriously.

"Okay," Mikan nodded, relaxing a bit. "And say that I believe you and understand what you're doing," she paused. "What happens now?"

There was silence where both men looked at each other and finally, Narumi agreed, "What happens to Mikan-chan now? She has two Alices, two rare ones at that…"

The Principal looked at her and with a sad smile said, "She'll go to training like the multi-Alices before her."

-;-

Crimson eyes immediately snapped open and narrowed when the sensitive hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Bracing a hand on the ground, Natsume stood from his comfortable seating position and bent his knees. His eyes were silently roaming the quiet area around him.

Crickets chirped and Natsume's ears seemed to draw to the sound and he whirled around smoothly, his lithe legs bounding a few meters back to avoid the rustle of fabric and the dark figure that leapt into view. Without jerking out of his ready position, Natsume straightened his legs and shoulders just the slightest and peered, stoically at the man before him.

"What do you want?" Natsume asked blandly, hands clenching at the ready. He was never one for pleasantries and the man with black lipstick covered lips frowned at his rude tone.

"That's not the tone you use with a teacher, now is it Black Cat?" he drawled scathingly, taking a step toward him.

Natsume didn't budge but kept his steady glare directed at the man. "I've never spoken to you in any other tone and I don't see why I should bother starting." He paused and eyes fierce with fire, he snarled, "Don't come near me."

Persona stopped in his tracks and seemed to roll his eyes. In a dismissive voice, he leered, "You will obey me, Natsume. You don't have any other choice."

Natsume straightened immediately and stared coolly with expressionless eyes. The flawless planes of his face were hard without emotion and from the long periods he spent training for missions. He was all lean muscle and nerves of lightening. "You can't do anything to make me do otherwise," he commented sardonically. "I'll get my sister back. I'll get her back myself."

Persona chuckled humorlessly and caught a drifting, healthy green leaf in the palm of his hand. Natsume watched his movements carefully like he did with everything else. He watched the slow way Persona curled his fingers around the leaf and then, he watched enraptured when the leaf crumpled to black dust.

"You'd do well to listen, Neko-chan," he drawled venomously. "And as for your sister, no matter what, you'll be here. Working for us. You don't have a future other than this."

Natsume didn't bother to retort. Instead, he waited patiently for the older man to finish with his sadistic practices so that he could go to his room and curl up to some nightmares. Even with Ruka, Natsume couldn't feel motivated enough to care. It was only when Ruka said Natsume's death would cause him to take his own life did Natsume feel the need to come back everyday. If it weren't for Ruka and his sister held captive by Persona, he'd have welcomed hell with open arms.

"You have a mission tonight, Kuro Neko," Persona muttered offhandedly, dissolving yet another leaf into thin air. Natsume didn't move when Persona's beady black eyes settled on his form and didn't twitch when a smirk flitted across his lips. "The gates at eleven tonight. Don't be late."

"Whatever," Natsume murmured, walking away. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Natsume ducked his head and leapt up into the trees. The calluses on his hands made the rough bark seem like silk and in his anger, Natsume was blind to the leaves and twigs cutting the skin of his face. The only thing he was aware of was the calling of his bed and the manga on his bedside table.

-;-

"A mountain," Mikan deadpanned. She stared disbelieving at the Principal and couldn't help the dry laugh that echoed from her lips. "You… want me to train on a mountain… by myself like a monk?"

The Principal pressed his lips together and the lines around his eyes deepened with his exhausted sigh. "We're taking necessary precautions, Mikan-chan. Your time on the mountain depends solely on how determined you are to finish your studies. We have to make certain that you have all of your Alices under control," the Principal explained once again. He folded his hands in his lap and peered at the girl with an indescribable expression on his face. "This is for the good of the school, the good of the ones you care about and the good of justice."

A film of tears and a fresh flood of anger filled her belly and Mikan struggled to swallow as she pounded her fist on the ground. "This is cruel," she hissed between clenched teeth. "You're taking me away from my grandfather. My only living relative and you're making me … work for you! Has it occurred to you that I'm only thirteen? I'm not old enough to … to do whatever you think I should do! I'm not old enough!"

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, gritting out, "This is the only way," he murmured. "Do you think I want to send thirteen year olds on missions? I don't, but for every child that I spare from the vicious outside world, double the increase in chances for an Alice student to get taken and sold to the highest bidder."

"Why me?" Mikan hissed bitterly.

The Principal's lips thinned and there was a hint of regret in his eyes when he looked at the determined girl before him. "Your Alices," he started, leaning forward onto his elbows. "Your Alices have the potential to save scores of students. Students that don't have offensive Alices like you do. Alices like us, we are living proof of the citation, 'With great powers comes great responsibility.' This is our duty."

There was a long silence that followed that last lingering statement and Mikan's resolve collapsed with defeat. Clenching her fists weakly, she lowered her eyes to the carpet, "I'll do it."

-;-

The walls were white and so was the ceiling.

Sighing unhappily, Mikan turned to lie on her side and brought the covers of the blanket down with a thud. Trying to sleep after all of those revelations in the large four walled office was futile and Mikan's lips turned down in a frown when she realized that one of her most precious hobbies would evade her for the night.

To think that these people would pop up all of a sudden in her stable, safe life to tell her that she had super powers still made her head spin. But after walking out of the office in time to see boys still floating in mid-air and a cloud of rain following another, she had no choice but to believe it.

How had things fallen apart so quickly? In the span of less than one day, she was transferring schools, getting superpowers, forced to live on a mountain to train, aware of a battle waging between two superpower groups and living a nightmare without her grandfather to wake her up in the middle of the night. She was sure this was a nightmare, nothing but a nightmare. But then again, she knew more than anything that this was all just wishful thinking.

Sitting up in bed, Mikan jumped to her feet and tiptoed toward the door, slowly pulling it open to rush out of Narumi's little house.

Some fresh air and a quiet walk would calm her, she thought.

-;-

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled once more and Natsume sucked in a breath of annoyance. He'd just come back from his mission, tired and weary and the bastard had the nerve to come back and poke him until he exploded.

Quickly getting to his feet, Natsume leapt easily onto the branch of his tree and stilled his movements, his Fire Alice pumping in his veins to keep his muscles warm and elastic. Raven locks danced before his eyes and Natsume's eyes seemed to blaze with annoyance when the figure of a young girl about his age, stepped into the patch of moonlight.

His eye twitched upon hearing her speak.

"Don't be so selfish, Mikan," she scolded herself. "You know this is the right thing to do so stop feeling sorry for yourself and focus. You won't have to worry about this until tomorrow so enjoy what life's given you for now. Mum and Dad would've been proud of you for this. They would."

Natsume rolled his eyes and tried to ignore the terrible itch that came from the annoying girl's voice. Relaxing his muscles, Natsume squeezed the upper branch he'd been holding on to once more before falling toward the ground, feeling the rush of wind that instantly flew through his hair.

The girl at the base of his tree screamed a blood curdling scream and his legs instantly rushed over so that he could clamp a hand over her mouth. "Shut up already and get lost before something unfortunate happens," he snarled darkly, enjoying the look of fright in the girl's eyes. He quickly took his hand away from her lips when he felt the girl wanting to chomp onto it and he pushed her roughly away from him until she toppled to the ground.

The girl looked terrified. Her large eyes seemed to dart to and fro infinitesimally and Natsume couldn't help but scoff at her from afar. As quickly as it had come, the girl's eyes flashed from fear to anger and she stepped forward boldly to hiss, "Well sorry. If you weren't such a creep to start jumping in front of innocent people, I wouldn't have screamed like that!"

She huffed with a pout and Natsume narrowed his eyes, once more. "Did you miss the part where I told you to get lost?" he drawled.

She crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away from him. Deciding to ignore his question, she asked instead, "Why aren't you sleeping? It isn't safe for kids to be out here at night, you know," she said like she was speaking to a child.

If only she knew, he thought, what things he did in the dark of the night…

"Beat it, little girl."

"This looks like a good place to think and I have to think," she bit out snootily. "Why don't _you_ beat it?"

And to prove she wasn't afraid of him, she sauntered over and took a seat right where he had sat and Natsume couldn't help but wrinkle his nose with distaste. He'd never liked girls before. They always screamed or latched themselves onto his arms and over all, it was just too troublesome. "There are plenty of places for you to think so go somewhere else and stop whining to me."

"How inconsiderate," she commented idly, turning to look out at the darkness in front of her. "I think I have a right to whine. You couldn't possibly understand."

"Wouldn't want to," Natsume snapped.

From the corner of his eyes, Natsume could see that the girl was seething with anger. Her fists were clenched and her lips were pursed into a thin line.

Finally, she broke the silence by saying, "I can't believe I'm going into exile for ungrateful jerks like you." She turned to look at him in the eye and glared, "Do you know how it feels like to have to bust your butt to protect the likes of you? You're clueless! You don't have to sacrifice anything and you don't have to leave everything you know behind! You're just a mean, cruel jerk!"

Aware of the silence, the girl got to her feet and Natsume watched icily as she turned to look at him condescendingly. "Fine, wish granted you jerk. I'll leave."

The fire within him roaring with anger, Natsume fixed his gaze on her retreating figure. That girl, she could only be new. She didn't know who she was messing with. He needed to get her name. Tomorrow.

He'd hunt her down tomorrow.

The girl stopped in her tracks and turned her head, looking slightly startled to hear his request. "My name?" she repeated dumbly, crossing her arms with suspicion. "Why should I tell you?"

He didn't answer, only stared at her coolly. Shifting under his intense scrutiny like he knew she would, the girl turned her head away and closed her eyes; her breath coming out to create wisps of grey in the cold night air.

"I expect yours in return," she commented lightly, turning to fix her eyes on him.

Natsume shifted uneasily and mentally shrugged. She'd find out tomorrow morning, or rather, later in the morning anyway.

"Hyuuga Natsume," he drawled casually, clenching his fists when the girl smiled victoriously. With a cheerful grin on her face, she chirped, "Sakura Mikan!"

And with a lingering, childish giggle, the girl was gone.

* * *

_My Hopeless Romantic_


	2. Cryptic Dreams and Hard Intentions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gakuen Alice. All rights and privileges to this awesome manga belong to Tachibana Higuchi. : )

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**Chapter 2.** _Cryptic Dreams and Hard Intentions_

_-:-_

_He could see a small boy, no taller than his shoulder, he thought, and standing in the midst of a crowded square of a park of some sort. His head was bent at an angle and his shock of black hair fell to cover his eyes. Fists clenched and trembling, the small little uniform the boy was wearing brought out the child in him, but something felt off._

_He seemed familiar for a little boy… scarily familiar._

_Natsume didn't fool himself into thinking that the little boy was not the younger version of himself. The resemblances were too clear and the striking stance was all too recognizable. The only difference, Natsume realized, was that this boy couldn't keep the look of anguish and vulnerability off his face. _

_The expression made a feeling of disgust bloom in his belly, for Natsume had mastered the mask of deception long ago. _

_He glanced around at his surroundings. A small boy with an ice cream cone, a girl picking flowers, an old store owner watering the flowers; Natsume could see the area around him littered with people. The trees were familiar and so was the large building of Gakuen Alice that he'd returned to everyday. But as the passersby strolled past him, Natsume couldn't help the shiver of coldness that ran the length of his spine._

_They didn't see him, for the very first time. Natsume's stomach dropped and the heavy taste of bile made him want to gag. He should've been relieved, happy even. The kids that he'd seen around the school and even the ones that he didn't had always looked at him in such a way that repulsed him._

_Like he was an animal._

_They looked at him like he was an animal that shouldn't be let out of his cage. And despite the respect and admiration that had frequently come to their eyes, the fear overrode all._

_And as he looked on, Natsume couldn't help but feel deep repulsion for his younger self. They were looking at _him_ like that now… oh, if they only knew he felt the exact same way._

_Shadows danced as the light flickered around him and Natsume wasn't surprised to see that with all of the people having come and gone, his younger self was once again, alone. _

_Only…_

_There was still that little girl picking flowers in the background…_

"—ake up, Natsume."

The hesitant nudges to his arm made Natsume's temper spike as he snapped his eyes open. He glared at his best friend and upon seeing Ruka's startled expression, Natsume's eyes softened the slightest and he shrugged off his blanket and headed for the kitchen in his room.

"Natsume, I—"

"What are you doing here, Ruka?" Natsume interrupted, lifting a cup of milk to his lips. He eyed his friend over the rim of the glass and tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes whilst struggling to remove the curtain in his memory that prevented him from remembering exactly what he'd just dreamed.

Ruka's shuffling feet made Natsume blink back to the present and he placed his cup on the counter to give Ruka his full attention. Gentle blue eyes settled on him and Natsume felt a twinge of unease at Ruka's concerned glance.

"I wanted to see of you were okay, Natsume. The birds woke me up an hour ago and told me you just came."

A trickle of guilt invaded Natsume's conscience and he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Natsume," Ruka started reluctantly, "—are you ok?"

"Fine," he spied Ruka's feet shifting and immediately narrowed his eyes. "You move your feet when you're nervous. What's wrong?"

His feet stilled and Ruka looked down, a blush of mortification on his face. After a moment, he looked up determinedly, "You can usually sense me before I come through your door. When I found you asleep for the first time, I guess I though—"

"I'm not going to drop dead anytime soon, Ruka."

He nodded with a quick bob of his head and made his way to the door. Stopping just shy of it, Ruka rested his hand on the knob, mid-twist and murmured, "I know, Natsume. I'd never let you."

-;-

Mikan didn't know what to say or do when Narumi asked her to trust her things to a boy not two years older than she. He was standing a little ways away with his hands in his pockets, eyeing her with a hint of amusement on his face and a chill ran up her spine at the look.

"I don't even know who he is; why should I trust him?" she demanded dryly, loud enough for the boy to hear.

Narumi chuckled and smoothed out his beige shirt and gently took her hand, "We're climbing a mountain today, Mikan. I doubt you'd want to lug all of your things for the entire trip. It'll take a few hours to get there, actually. With the added weight of your things, we might have to sleep in the forest tonight."

"And so? What good will it be for that boy to take my things? Wouldn't we have to wait for him, then?" she pointed out.

There was a wry smile on his face when he answered, "He has the Teleportation Alice, Mikan. He'll teleport all of your things to the cabin so that all we have to worry about is getting there by foot."

Mikan wrinkled her nose and looked at the fringe of the Northern Forest that loomed, dark and foreboding. The little information she had managed to get from Narumi and the amount the Headmaster had divulged in his letter gave her the impression that she'd be in the heart of the forest. Then again, no matter how big the school was, having a mountain in Gakuen Alice seemed to be really pushing it.

She turned her gaze back to Narumi and asked, "Why can't we get to the cabin by teleportation? Wouldn't that be faster and easier?"

Narumi's smiled stiffened and then froze on his face until he dropped the expression entirely in order to replace it with one of severity and seriousness that she hadn't expected of him. "Mikan," he started, pausing to rearrange his words, "—the Headmaster is expecting you to be able to copy as many Alices in the school as you can and to do that, you'll have to make regular trips to the school in secret." He chanced a dry chuckle before saying, "You can't possibly know your way to the school if you teleported."

She nodded her understanding a moment later and reluctantly handed her duffle bags of clothes to the older boy who flashed a hungry, boyish grin in her direction. "Hope you survive the training," the boy saluted with a raucous laugh.

Then he was gone.

"Right," Mikan muttered, trying to forget the lingering words, "Right."

"He's just teasing, Mikan-chan. He's part of the Dangerous Ability class and enjoys scaring the younger students. Besides, he's a multi-Alice as well, so he's gone through the exact same training as you have to hone his Alices."

"Then what did he mean about 'hoping' I 'survive the training'?" Mikan grated irritably, dragging her feet to the fringe of the forest. "He was saying it like he didn't believe I _could _make it through the training. It isn't like boot camp, is it?"

They stopped at the border of the trees and Narumi leaned against the trunk of one of the tress before he pursed his lips and said, "The training varies depending on the Alice and the student. But with your Alices, they won't do anything drastic but yes, Mikan, the training is very difficult."

Instantly, images of her body beaten to a pulp and weapons with deadly spikes made its way into Mikan's mind and she groaned softly. "Fantastic," she mumbled.

Narumi had a small, sad smile on his face and Mikan felt a twinge of guilt. This wasn't Narumi-sensei's fault. It wasn't even the Headmaster's fault. Sure, she was being sent off into the middle of nowhere for training but it wasn't all for nothing. She may not be able to understand the full extent of her training and what she'd have to do with the training, but if it meant that kids her age didn't have to go through the horrors the principal had divulged, then it was a worthy cause—something her parents would've been proud to have her be a part of.

She sent him one of her reassuring smiles but immediately whirled around at the rustling leaves behind her. A man appeared from out of nowhere sporting only dark apparel. Distracted by his ensemble, Mikan felt a shiver of cold wash over her as his beady black eyes honed onto her figure.

"Persona," Narumi hissed monotonously. "You're very fond of the grand entrance, aren't you?"

Mikan's gaze didn't move away from the man and only managed a step back when the sound of the man's dark voice filled her ears.

"Weak," he leered, black leather wrinkling as he crossed his arms, "Why the Headmaster ever thought to pay you attention is beyond my knowledge."

Mikan remained mute and immobile. She could feel his eyes trailing the length of her body and inwardly shivered once more.

"Scrawny," the man continued, taking a step forward. "Kitten won't be able to last an hour, at best, with me." The inspection continued as he circled her, chanting meticulously to himself about her faults. "Muscles aren't very prominent… neck, so easily twisted… too small… no speed…"

Mikan, though she'd never seen the man before, could tell that he meant business. His dark apparel and darker tone made bad vibes run through her body. Even with his casual stance, she could feel the power that radiated off of his body.

"Persona, if you—"

Persona waved Narumi's comment away and leaned his back against the trunk of a tree in order to inspect the both of them with narrowed eyes. "Sakura Mikan: thirteen years old, Nullification and SEC Alices but Stealing is most prominent of the three. January 1, Capricorn, Type O, Grandfather, parents incapacitated, only child, second day at Gakuen Alice, first of traini—"

Mikan took another step back, feeling her body stiffen as cold air rushed into all of her muscles, preventing her from putting more distance between herself and the mysterious man before her. She swallowed thickly and clenched her fists, "How? Why do you know these things? Who are you!"

A slow, menacing smirk crossed black lips which made her feel as though a bucket of cold water was being dumped onto her body. She looked up, dazed, when Narumi stepped in front of her body with a snarl, "Stop scaring her, Persona."

"I'm your trainer, Sakura Mikan," Persona drawled, straightening to stand to his full frame. "We start immediately." He smirked darkly and muttered, "I have… _plans_… for your training."

"You…!" Mikan cried in disbelief. "You couldn't possibly be my teacher!"

"You'll learn—" Persona said blandly, "—that impossible is only a word for the weak. When I'm done with you, you will no longer be weak."

-;-

They'd headed out early morning and Mikan could feel the drain in her muscles as their hike wore on. The sun was just beginning to set and Mikan sighed, knowing that there wouldn't be anymore unbearable heat beating on her back. Narumi had a hard time keeping up and after a while, had decided that the trek back would be easier and he'd get the teleportation Alice to bring him on over to the cabin instead.

Up ahead, Mikan eyed the back of her teacher, steadily moving quite a ways ahead of her and she couldn't help but shoot angry looks at the back of his head, hoping the heat from her eyes could make his body crumble to dust.

She stumbled and had to catch herself by grabbing onto a tree trunk, containing a wince when she saw the sharp cuts and slivers that had embedded themselves into her skin.

"Instead of looking at me, pay attention to where you're going," the cold, dry voice said from up ahead. "You can't protect anybody if you can't even protect yourself."

Mikan bit her lip and roughly wiped her hand on the fabric of her shirt before picking her way carefully through the brush, making sure her shoes sank well into the dirt to avoid another embarrassing fall. This guy… he didn't seem like the type to go easy on _anybody._

"Hurry up," said a muffled voice from up ahead. "If you'd hurry your ass up, we can get to training."

Mikan scowled, ignoring the light ache in her back and the crick in her neck. Instead, she weaved clumsily through the foliage, brushing leaves angrily out of her face before stopping dead in her tracks to look at the large, wooden cabin, barely concealed behind leaves and trees.

"Wow…" she breathed, stepping closer. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were sparkling with the first hints of wonder. The edifice was larger than she'd expected and by the time she'd taken her first step into the house, her wonder blossomed to excitement.

The inside was decorated immaculately, never mind that the colors were somewhat dismal, but the furniture was impeccable. There weren't very many electronics except for the stove and the odd luxury but it had one thing that she hadn't thought possible from a house in the mountains, all to herself.

It looked like a home.

"You are here to _train_, Sakura," a casual voice sneered from behind, "Outside, _now. _When Narumi-_sensei_ bothers to come, he'll make dinner."

The blossoming feeling in her chest immediately died down and Mikan sighed, instantly turning to glare at the masked man that had already turned, retreating into the forest. Mentally cursing him, she took her pigtails out and tied her hair into a ponytail, jogging slightly to catch up to the impatient teacher.

Breaking through the leaves, Mikan didn't have the chance to let her eyes linger. At once, Persona was in front of her, holding her wrist in a deathly grip to get her attention. "Try to hit me," he commanded, amusement lacing his words.

"I don't know how to fight," she pointed out, forcing down her wince and looking him straight in the eyes. "Release m-me, please," she requested calmly, hating that her voice wavered.

He dropped her hand in slight disgust and turned his head to let loose a deadly chuckle. "You don't know _how _or you've never had to _try_?" was his rhetorical question. He turned fully and Mikan let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding before he continued, "Alright, let's see how you fare being _attacked _then."

And in a rush, he was in front of her, a fist blackening her view. She winced, closing her eyes but the impact didn't come. After a moment, she opened her eyes to see that his fist had stopped an inch before her face. "You'll have to do better than that. Don't think I'll feel bad for hitting a child," he drawled coldly, stepping back. "Again," he commanded.

Before long, Mikan lay on the dirt encrusted ground, the grass trampled on and the clearing, a mess. Her breathing was uneven and her heart was beating too fast to be normal. Her skin was flushed and her once pale, porcelain skin was marred with scratches, bruising that would only worsen by morning and a dark flush to the expanse of the organ.

Night had quickly fallen on the two and with her eyes closed; Mikan could only flinch when she felt Persona's presence nearing. A sigh of distaste immediately fell to her ears and Persona's casual mocking, "As expected, you're much too weak."

Mikan felt the need to retort but with her breathing still shallow, she couldn't force out a word. Instead, she lay on the ground ignoring the headache that was fast approaching.

"Your reflexes are better than expected after seeing how utterly _stupid_ you are," Persona drawled smoothly, nudging Mikan's leg rather roughly. "You tend to jump into a fight without thinking and your emotions rule over you. That will change once we're done. You can't control your Alices at all and it seems like your Steal has yet to surface to maturity. We must correct that as soon as possible."

The back of her eyes stung and she only let the tears fall when Persona's retreating steps were heard and when he'd commanded coolly, "Clean up. The _real _training starts in two days."

And then, she cried.

-;-

She breathed heavily, glaring at the grimly dressed teacher that didn't seem at all pressed. He stood casually in the middle of the clearing, one hand in his pocket and a smirk of sadistic pleasure on his face. His breathing wasn't labored like hers, nor was his cheeks as flushed or muscles as heavy.

Mikan inwardly cursed, crouched into the stance that he'd taught her a few days after her arrival. Legs shoulder-width apart to enable the maximum coverage of the area around her and the elasticity of her muscles in the stance would allow her to move quickly from one area to another.

She would've thought that she'd improve after three months of vigorous training with the slave driver of a teacher but the only thing that had changed over that time was her control over her Alices. Though she wondered how the Principal knew the grasp she had over her Alice, she couldn't feel any different. She had, however, found that it had been easier to steal someone's Alice after several dozen tries that left her with massive migraines and ringing ears.

She'd grown stronger in strength and stamina but she didn't _seem_ different. No matter how much improvements she may have made, Persona doubled up her training so that everyday would leave her sore and bruised, worse than the day before.

She'd discovered that he was the teacher in charge of all the Dangerous Ability Alices, therefore while his presence was needed at the school; she was expected to read up on the workings of the Academy and improve her strategizing.

"_You know you're a rather stupid girl, don't you?"_

She'd already known that she wasn't the smartest crayon in the box but something about _him_ saying that to her, made Mikan want to prove the bastard wrong. She wasn't smart, she knew. Her emotions always seemed to get the best of her, but in order to wipe that sick, sardonic smirk off his face, she'd do anything.

"_We have a six year old that strategizes better than you do."_

A frown crossed her lips and Mikan crouched even lower, if possible, into the crouch. Her eyes watched him closely but frustration soon made way to anger when he disappeared in front of her very eyes. She recalled sitting upon the rough surface of her desk chair before smoothing out the book in front of her.

**Chapter Six: Thinking in Sticky Situations**

She breathed slowly, waiting for the telltale sign of somebody's presence. She smiled when the sensitive hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

_Oh yes, the bastard would_ die_._

* * *

_My Hopeless Romantic_


	3. A Hint of Truth and Hopes for Friendship

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gakuen Alice. All rights and privileges belong to Tachibana-sama.

* * *

**Chapter 3.**_ A Hint of Truth and Hopes for Friendship_

_-:-_

Mikan instantly slowed her movements and she hastily took out the earphones to her old mP3, her knees slightly bent in order to give herself a little more leverage. She'd taken to wearing short sleeve shirts because her arms had the tendency to break out in gooseflesh or the hairs on her arms would stand up along with the ones on her neck when somebody was coming near.

She jolted forward, running and jumping into a roll, narrowly missing a dagger that whizzed at the spot she'd been a few seconds earlier. Ignoring the dull thud of the weapon embedding into a tree, Mikan's eyes immediately caught onto the black of a cloak and crisscrossed both her hands in order to block one of Persona's heavy kicks.

Her feet inched back with the impact of the hit and she braced a hand on the ground before jumping back, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end before she felt the breath knocked out of her as she flew through the air, flipping before landing nimbly to her feet. She forced herself not to curl into the fetal position, feeling the dull throb of her stomach and met amused, black eyes.

"You didn't actually have to kick me in the stomach, you know," Mikan bit out dryly, wiping the sweat from her forehead and flexing her shoulders. "Geez, that hurts."

Persona smirked before a bland expression slid casually onto his face. Baring gleaming white teeth, Persona said coldly, "I told you yesterday that things would only get harder. You should've taken it to heart, Mikan-san."

Mikan scowled but didn't bother replying, only straightened up expectantly.

"You're going down to the Academy grounds today to copy Alices," Persona drilled calmly, picking at his black gloves. "You're Copy Alice isn't as strong as I'd like it to be so make good use of your time." A dark smile moved onto his lips before he waved her away, ignoring the hard line of her lips.

Mikan absolutely despised the man. She wondered briefly how he could teach a class of Dangerous Ability types without getting _killed_. Surely the kids he worked with had the brains to want to go for the man's throat. Mikan was never much of a violent girl. Truth be told, she was hard pressed to wonder what exactly they expected her to do during her 'missions'. In a sense, though she could feel a slight change in her own movements, Mikan didn't really understand the extent of her training. She didn't even understand how she'd woken up one day to find that she had these powers in the first place.

A part of her still didn't quite believe it, especially when she lay in bed at night, wondering about what had happened to her life. Things used to be so much simpler and she wondered why, as time passed, the seams to her previous existence seemed to weaken. What was she doing, having to copy other Alices? What good would it really do?

Sighing softly, Mikan pressed a tender hand against her stomach and winced at the slightest brush of her fingers. _Persona…_

Teleporting to the grounds with her first copied Alice, Mikan crouched silently in the trees, watching as the buzz of students intensified. She felt a familiar lurch in her chest and unconsciously laid a hand over the area above her heart, wondering what it'd feel like to run over and play there with them under the careful watch from the blistering sun.

Shaking her head, Mikan pushed those thoughts aside and immediately looked around the fringe of the forest, trying to find a subtle way of catching a student by surprise.

Her skin was tingling.

It was two hours into her copying session and already, Mikan was beat. She'd slowly gotten the hang of using her Copy Alice but found that it took her a few minutes' break to be able to copy another. In that time, she carefully scoured the grounds to find her next victim.

She flinched at the word and immediately dropped to lean against the trunk of a tree, her feet dangling in the air above the branch. She idly watched the sun break away from the clouds and closed her eyes as the sun slowly lit upon her face.

Her skin tingled again and she opened her eyes blearily, her skin prickling with renewed intensity. Slowly getting to her feet, Mikan crouched clumsily on the branch, eyes scouring the place with barely trained eyes. She picked up the light patter of feet, definitely not the clumsy movements and loud footsteps from unknowing students, but the sound of quick instincts and greater experience.

_A Dangerous Ability type…_

Her heart rate sped up and she barely made it around the trunk before a black-haired male came into view. He held a thin book in his hands, a hand lightly grazing the trunk of a tree, his eyes slowly darting around the forest, searching. Mikan held her breath when his gaze seemed to look right at her.

Abandoning his search, Mikan put a hand on her chest and trailed after his retreating figure and though she knew it was stupid, she couldn't help but follow curiously. He'd taken a seat far away from the playing children further along the path, fingering something that seemed to shine curiously in his hand. The slow, practiced jerk of his wrist caused the light to catch metal and Mikan found herself inching closer, barely able to make out the hint of a locket.

It was simple gold and if she leaned over at _just _the right angle, she could make out the pale face of a young girl. She wondered briefly, who the girl was and why the boy seemed so distressed.

-;-

"I expected you to do better than that."

Mikan's arms remained crossed over her chest and she bit her tongue in order to keep the biting remarks away from Persona's well-trained ears. She still didn't quite understand what they wanted her to do. Sure, there were missions, ones that she'd only ever read about that sounded, not only really dangerous, but something kids her age shouldn't be thinking of. There was a war waging, for God's sake!

She would've liked it better not having an Alice at all. She would've liked it better never having to go to this school in the first place. She'd realized long ago that deciding to come with Narumi-sensei was a mistake. Then again, she thought later on, even if she had resisted, they'd be able to find other means to get her to go.

Persona hadn't tried to hide the threats directed at her grandfather if she didn't obey and with the listless movement of his lips and the stoic mien on his masked features, she didn't think that he wasn't capable of carrying his threats.

"If it weren't for the Principal, I'd make you go back there and practice your Stealing Alice," he sneered callously, folding his arms to look at her with dark eyes. "However orders are orders and I'm to give you the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, we begin honing the Alices that you copied."

His dismissal was clear but Mikan couldn't think to move from her spot. She knew it was her cue to go but she couldn't… understand why there was something that she needed to do. A nagging memory at the back of her mind tried to pry into her thoughts but she couldn't, for the life of her, understand what it was.

"You're thinking about the Hyuuga," Persona deadpanned, his tone displeased.

"Hyuuga?" Mikan asked startled, "That sounds really familiar…"

"He appeared on your first day," Persona supplied, uncommitted. "You are to stay away from the boy."

"Why?"

There was a moment of silence before Persona muttered, "Nothing good can come between the two of you." He looked away from her and toward the dark foliage nearby, "I monitor you every lesson. You are interested in his sister."

Mikan stilled instantly and glared under her fringe of bangs. "Have you heard of something called _privacy_, Persona," she snarled from gritted teeth. Mikan brushed her anger away for later and said calmly, "The girl in the locket, what happened to her?"

"Practice what you preach, Ms. Sakura. This doesn't concern you in the least," he replied with a chilling smile on his face. Briefly, he turned to regard her before beginning to walk out of the forest.

Mikan stilled instantly, wondering about the implications of the pleased smile that had been on her teacher's face. _He didn't … do something… to the little girl, did he? _To be perfectly honest, Mikan wouldn't have thought twice. Persona, his dark aura and his lack of motivation and concern towards the other students made her believe that Persona was capable of anything horrific.

"What did you do to her?" Mikan hissed darkly, her eyes never leaving the dark fabric of Persona's cloaked figure.

A chill ran the length of the forest and Persona chuckled humorlessly, turning to send an unimpressed, blank stare in her direction. "Unless you think you're ready to commence your first mission, you won't ask me that question," he answered smoothly.

Mikan blinked and the next second, Persona was gone.

_Coward._

-;-

If she was forbidden to do one thing in Alice Academy, it was to step foot on the Academy grounds where the other students could actually _see _her but either way, to Mikan, she didn't really care. There was this dark urge deep within her that made her feel sick to her stomach. And since asking Persona didn't seem to work, she'd go to the one she had the most confidence in, the High School Principal.

Darkness swept across the school and Mikan lay awake in her bed, waiting a few more minutes before throwing off the covers. Her eyes were bright with determination and throwing on a large, warm sweater, Mikan stepped out of the cabin and quickly teleported to the fringe of the forest. There were several buildings, she'd been aware, that made up Alice Academy. Three separate buildings made for the Elementary, Middle and High school branches and two more buildings made for the girl and boys dormitories. She'd been given the impression that all of the teachers had a house of their own but the younger and the lower teachers on the seniority stayed within the students' dorms in order to make sure everyone was sleeping. And upon thinking all of that through, Mikan couldn't help but scold herself when she realized that she didn't know where the Principal's house was.

She cursed mentally and quickly hid behind a tree when she saw, many trees ahead of her, a head snap upward, looking right in her direction. It was that Natsume Hyuuga, again, she realized, gripping the trunk of the tree tightly.

_Persona said to stay away from him_, her conscience reminded her. The rebellious part of her brain told her not to give a damn.

The boy was on his feet and with the nimble grace of a practiced predator, he'd launched himself quickly onto the branch overhead and was making his way over. Fear swept through Mikan's entire body and she didn't know whether she should stay where she was or risk getting captured. Surely Persona would punish her then.

"Come out, Persona," the cold, boyish voice almost made her jump out of her skin. The boy thought she was Persona! The thought made her want to laugh with relief but the other part wondered what he'd do when he realized she wasn't Persona in the least.

"Always the impatient one," Persona appeared suddenly, stepping up from a few trees in front of her. "You are to be in class tomorrow. Mark my words, Black Cat, you'll be sorry if you skip this one."

There was a pause wherein she held her breath before the Black Cat answered, "You have enough of them in class. Why should I even bother?"

"You will be in class," Persona ordered, his voice far more stern. "Or your sister will—"

"_Leave my sister out of this."_

"Then you'll be in class," Persona's tone turned light, a clear dismissal and a sign of his victory. The boy stood still for a few more moments and Mikan knew the boy wanted to take Persona down but with a small grunt, he'd jumped from the tree, ripped his manga off of the ground and slumped quietly away into the night. Mikan breathed a sigh of relief but it was clearly short-lived.

"You were told to keep away from here," Persona appeared suddenly, pushing her against a tree with a hand to her neck and a dark leer on his face. "You were told _very _clearly not to be seen on school grounds unless you are told otherwise and you were not told otherwise. Why are you here?"

A cold dread ran down her spine and Mikan knew the light pressure on her neck could easily turn deadly. Dismissively, she replied, "I was heading to the Principal's room."

"I didn't ask you where you were going," the pressure against her neck increased. "I asked _why_."

"I want _answers_," she hissed.

A dark, chilling chuckle filled the air before the pressure against her neck loosened and she heard, "Well, lucky you because that's exactly what you're getting and when you do, you'll wish you didn't _know_."

-;-

"She's not ready to know," Principal Yukihira replied disapprovingly, speaking as if she wasn't in the room. To this, Persona chuckled darkly.

"If her actions are any indication, she seems anxious to start her first mission," Persona returned coolly, tightening his grip on Mikan's arm. "Isn't that right, Sakura-_san_?"

Mikan lifted her chin up and glared at Persona under her eyelashes. Without tearing her dark gaze away from her teacher, she spoke up, "I want to know everything and if I have to go on a mission to get what I want, I will."

"Mikan, do you even know what you're talking about?" Yukihira asked calmly, his eyebrows rose in question. "Once you know, this will change everything. Things will get dangerous and I'm sure it'd be easier if we kept this away from you."

She paused for a second and turned to face the principal, eyes sharp with determination. "I'll stand by my decision."

The principal's frown deepened as he regarded Mikan's unyielding expression and Persona's satisfied mien. Both were disconcerting and both were stubborn. Yukihira pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

"I'm giving you one last chance, Mikan. Think about it clearly. I don't think you know the implications of what we might have to—"

"I'm certain," her voice rang clear. "And I'm not changing my mind."

Clasping his hands together, Yukihira took a deep breath and started, "The truth is, Natsume Hyuuga has been doing missions. From what I can tell, you've already gleaned the fact that he's a Dangerous Ability type and with his Fire Alice, you can see why that is." He paused at Mikan's quick nod, continuing hesitantly, "Persona convinced him to do so by threatening to harm his little sister, Aoi Hyuuga—"

"_What?"_

Yukihira flinched at the dark, low question and heard Persona's accompanying chuckle before Mikan reiterated, "You _threatened _to harm his _sister_ so that he'll do _missions_ for you?" She let a cool, humorless laugh escape her before she wrenched her arm away from Persona's grasp and walked fluidly to his desk, cool mask in place. "Are you even _human_?"

And Yukihira thought it was funny. Watching her emotionless tone and indifferent features made him think that maybe he wasn't the only one.

"How _could_ you?"

"I wasn't finished," Yukihira returned coolly, leaning against the back of his chair with a wry expression on his face. "Please don't interrupt me until I'm finished." Mikan didn't say a word and nodding, Yukihira continued, "He came to the academy when he was seven, already doing missions by the age of eight. Though he wasn't a multi-Alice like you, Natsume endured the best training that any multi-Alice before him would have gotten. His Fire Alice was far stronger than one we'd ever encountered before. He started with group missions and soon branched off to go solo. Time and time again, the Anti-Alice Organization was thwarted by Natsume's efforts and by then, he'd made a name for himself. Everyone knew him as the 'Black Cat'. Even civilians heard rumors."

Yukihira paused to lick his lips and watched Mikan fidget with questions no doubt plaguing her mind. Clearing his throat, he said, "He'd barely turned nine, when he'd had enough of those missions. He stopped going to his Mixed class and ignored Persona's mission requests. It was around that time, the AAO infiltrated the school and managed to get their hands on Aoi—Natsume's sister."

"So you had nothing to do with it?" Mikan interrupted stiffly, fists still clenched at her sides.

"No," Yukihira assured softly, "—but Hyuuga-kun believes that we took her and we haven't bothered to say otherwise."

"And why not?" Mikan interrupted sharply. "Why aren't you telling him anything? For all we know, she's probably being beat up or starved or God forbid, she might even be dead! Why can't you just go get her?"

A chilling voice from the corner pronounced Persona's presence, "Times are difficult. I've already gone and was unable to retrieve her."

"You probably didn't care enough to try in the first place," Mikan bit out acidly. "Too scared to lose your precious Black Cat?"

In a flash, a resounding slap echoed within the office and Yukihira quickly got to his feet, "Persona, let go of my student. Get out while you're at it."

He was gone in a second and Mikan ignored the angry sting on her cheek, glaring at Yukihira to move on to more pressing matters. He went around the desk and looked down at the smaller girl, brushing her brown hair to the side to inspect the reddening print on her face. "Mikan-chan, are you—"

"Let me do it."

"What?"

"Let me go find her," Mikan commanded boldly, stepping away from his hand. "I'm strong enough. It'll get Persona to lay off and some experience would be good."

Yukihira looked speechless, "Absolutely not," he returned stiffly. "You've been training for less than three months! You can't possibly think you're capable of taking on a mission that even Persona—"

"We both know," she hissed quietly, "—that Persona doesn't give a damn."

He knew it was true but he refocused, "It's far too dangerous. You're not ready."

"How would you know?" Mikan asked rudely, inwardly apologizing for her behavior. "You don't train me. You don't know how much I've grown. Persona has and he seems damn well certain that it's about time I get moving."

The Principal looked ready to retort when she continued, "Look, I'm not stupid, okay? I may be just a kid but I'm strong. I won't jump into situations recklessly. I won't go looking for anything but Aoi. Isn't this what you want?" she asked. "Isn't this the reason you don't tell Hyuuga about his sister? You want to know that you have him to do missions that he doesn't even _want _to do. Here I am _volunteering_ to go and you're denying me?" She looked up with bright brown eyes and declared, "You said yourself, Principal-sama, my Alices were meant for protecting and that's precisely what I'm going to use them for."

"I don't know…"

Brown eyes met gray and Mikan turned, "Whether or not you want to help me, I'm going. It's up to you whether you want to make it easier for me or harder. Either way, I'm getting her back. Not your way, but mine."

-;-

Yukihira sighed as he listened to the light click of shoes approaching his door. He knew, as well as his visitor, that she could walk far quieter, almost soundless if she wanted to, but she respected him too much and as she walked towards his office, Yukihira could only briefly appreciate the warning that she gave him before he composed himself, folding his hands together over his desk and looking patiently in the direction of the door.

She walked in after knocking and he was once again, struck with her resemblance to her mother. His heart sank when he glimpsed her eyes, once so full of life like that of Izumi, his younger brother, now seemed dull. Izumi would've killed him if he saw his daughter like this, he mused bitterly.

"You sent me," she stated, a lilt of curiosity in her voice. Her expression changed suddenly, as if noting her behavior, she smiled and greeted, "Good evening, Principal-sama."

_Principal-sama…_ he thought, strangely disappointed. _She was supposed to call him uncle…_ She didn't know it, of course, he assured himself. And again, he felt the need to tell her… tell her that they were related and see what she did but the thought of her mother made him hold his tongue.

Things were getting far too complicated.

"Good evening, Mikan," he returned instead, gesturing for her to take a seat. She looked like she wanted to refuse but there was no hesitation in her movements. She folded her legs at the ankles and looked at him expectantly.

"I've thought of your proposal," he started, recoiling at the deep innocence in her large brown eyes. "Or rather, your blatant plans and you're right. I can either make it easier for you, or make it harder. I'll take the former. But believe me when I say I'm not pleased that you're forcing my hand. Normally, students don't jump at the chance to go on missions and for you to want to go…" He cleared his throat and patted the file on his desk.

"As promised, I've taken it upon myself to obtain the information needed to get the youngest Hyuuga," he reiterated. "She is being held captive in warehouse fourteen at a rather urban area of Tokyo surrounded by a series of other warehouses. This could pose a problem but I'm confident that with the maps traced out for you, it won't be too hard to find."

His eyes darkened as he regarded the girl who was listening, enraptured and something tightened in his throat when he remembered, this was his _niece_ risking her life on a mission. Was he honestly going to risk her going when she was the last living thing that connected him to his brother?

"I'll be careful," she seemed to read his thoughts, eyes determined. "Nothing will go wrong and I'll train hard before I go."

He nodded with a jerk of his head and continued, "She should be approximately eleven or twelve years old and though we don't know how much she's changed, last we saw of her, she had black hair and red eyes, much like her brother. She was a rather pale girl and this," he handed her a picture, "—is how she looked like before she was taken away."

He watched for a second, the look of surprise and affection when Mikan looked at the picture. He understood the sentiment. Aoi Hyuuga had a lovely, cheerful smile on her face with warm eyes, bright and defiant and the character and confidence she exposed made her all the more adorable. To look at a picture like that, one could only wonder who had the heart to take her away.

Clearing his throat, YukihIra continued, "One of our Alices scouted the area and noticed a large barrier near the center of the cluster of warehouses and we can only suspect Aoi is being held there." He rifled through the folder, extracting a bundle of papers, "Her Fire Alice is probably being suppressed and since she has a far weaker version of her brother's Alice, it isn't likely she knows how to control her Alice, nor use it at will."

He looked at his niece, wincing at the concern in his voice when he asked, "Don't you think you're jumping into this idea too soon?" He cut her off when she was ready to retort and said, "There are several dozen guards surrounding warehouse fourteen alone. With the added sensors and lasers and whatever else they have installed, you'll have a harder time than you think…"

She frowned immediately, "It'll be fine." She looked up at him, strangely confident, "I promise."

He wanted to tell her that her promises weren't enough. He wanted to tell her that nothing she said would make him feel less worried but he bit his tongue. Relations with her were already strained, did he honestly want to pull the strings so taut that with the slightest move, they'd snap?

_There wouldn't be a relation if she died. _

YukihIra bit the inside of his cheek, immediately pushing the thought aside. "I'll have all of the equipment and devices you'll need for your mission when you decide to do it," he announced instead, breathing unevenly, looking away from the exuberant look on her face.

A second of silence passed before Mikan nodded, getting to her feet. "I really appreciate you helping me with this, Principal-sama. This is really something I believe in," her eyes softened but remained bright. "Thank you."

-;-

She blinked, unable to succumb to the demands of sleep.

Persona had taken it upon himself to push her to her limits until she was almost sure to be crawling through the cabin doors and yet, even when her body was physically exhausted to the brink of being incapable of movement, Mikan found herself wide awake, plagued with thoughts of her repetitive dreams. She'd stay up all night to think and when sleep finally claimed her, she dreamed of Natsume, strange as it may seem.

Dreams of his dark presence and his loneliness, his depression and his hate.

Was it really just a dream? Mikan had a hard time believing it was that simple, since the images were so vivid, disgustingly real. She blamed it on the fact that she pitied the boy. She pitied him to the brink of having unneeded and meaningless dreams of him. She pitied him to the point where she wanted to ease that pain. It wasn't because she liked him. How was it possible if she'd never talked to the boy with the exception of one mangy, ten minute tirade?

She didn't like him. A smile spread across her face, small and out of place. Maybe, maybe she thought he'd make a wonderful friend. They weren't too different from each other. Maybe when she managed to finish her training and attend school… maybe they could even be friends.

But deep within her heart, Mikan wondered if she was even capable of making friends, now that she'd changed into a person she hardly knew.

* * *

_My Hopeless Romantic_


	4. Dangerous Jumps and Hearty Turns

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gakuen Alice. All rights and privileges belong to Tachibana-sama.

* * *

**Chapter 4.** _Dangerous Jumps and Hearty Turns_

_-:-_

The limousine slowed to a halt and the Principal sent her a meaningful, concerned glance to which Mikan returned with a smile. She opened the door with the jerk of her wrist and immediately leapt onto the closest tree branch. This was it. The moment she'd been training for during the last few weeks. It almost surprised her when she thought _Persona's training wasn't all that bad_. She blamed it on the fact that she had something to _fight_ for now.

A girl, a friend, an innocent person.

This girl, Aoi Hyuuga, she was one of the people that Mikan was going to fight for and the fact that she was captured by the other organization strengthened her resolve. Mikan crouched, waiting patiently, briefly registering the fact that the limousine had turned, moving back the way it'd come to rest just down the street. Principal YukihIra had explicitly told her the guards changed on the hour and according to him, their hour was almost up. Expectantly, she checked her watch for the signal.

He'd insisted she wore a talkie in order to communicate with him within the limo but she refused. Talkies depended on radio waves and who knew what kind of technology the AAO had to track things like that.

She waited with bated breath, a finger skimming the tree bark, watching with anxious eyes at the large expanse of property filled to the brim with warehouses. Watch lights lit the sky with their upside-down pendulum motions and her muscles jumped when the light on her watch turned on.

The hour was up and the guards were changing their shift. Her lips curved into an expectant smile before she secured her fox mask on her face and leapt from the branch, remaining airborne for a good two seconds before her feet landed with a light thump. At the back of her mind, she knew if Persona had heard that, he'd be furious.

Her eyes darted from right to left, then straight ahead before she bounded forward, running at a light sprint. Her feet were barely hitting the ground and before long, she'd reached the first of dozens of warehouses, her Invisibility Alice activating when she heard a couple of rough, male laughs and what could only be the slap on the back as a greeting of some sort.

She resisted the urge to snort and pressed herself against the wall when one of the guards passed alarmingly close. He stopped, cigarette in mouth and tired brown eyes looked in her direction before he sniffed once more, moved closer and sniffed again. The smell of cigarettes choked her and a lazy smile made its way onto the man's lips before he leaned even closer, taking another almighty whiff.

In surprise, Mikan fell through the wall, activating her Intangible Alice unknowingly and stumbling into the room. She deactivated it right away and before long, she'd stumbled into a large crate, causing it to tumble down with a loud crash. The sound of a gun firing and profanities filled the air before she jumped quietly through the walls, once again, into the cool night air.

She could hear a rough pounding in her ears and put a hand reassuringly against the area above her heart. _The mission's barely started and I'm already a nervous wreck,_ she mused bitterly.

From behind her, she heard another bout of profanities before she slunk away, bypassing several other warehouses. More guards were switching positions and Mikan continued to curse herself for her blunders. They were changing shifts and she was nowhere _near_ warehouse fourteen. She was told it was in the middle of everything but where was that exactly?

Just as she was about to take to the air to locate the warehouse, there was a loud scuffle and she turned in time to see six guards exchanging guns. Three of them nodded and the other three parted ways. The three remaining kept their backs towards the walls of the warehouse with a hand on the butt of their guns. A slow smile crept onto her lips underneath the mask and making sure her Alice was still activated, Mikan leapt forward, jumping into a roll when the guards hastily turned to the area where they heard the small thump her feet made on the ground.

Her heart pounding in her ears, Mikan lifted her head cautiously and grinned when she saw the faint, painted numbers one-four on the front of the warehouse.

_Now we're getting somewhere…_

Inhaling deeply, she quietly got to her feet, ignoring the two guards standing in front of the doors and went around the back. Looking both ways, Mikan put a black gloved hand over the brick-walled surface and silently walked through. The room was dark. It was pitch black to the point where she blinked and she still couldn't see anything.

The flicker of a light blinded her and the ice cold splash of water over her chest made her blink rapidly. A rough, hoarse laugh rang in her ears before something cold came into contact with the back of her head and darkness claimed her.

But before it totally engulfed her, Mikan could've sworn she heard somebody say, "Damn, the bastard was right."

-;-

She was jerked awake by the dark, throbbing ache between her eyes and at the back of her head. Every few seconds, it seemed, a white flash of pain lit up her head and she could barely stifle the loud groan that itched to be released. Mikan didn't know why or how she knew she wasn't alone. Her arms were clad in long-sleeved, thin black leather and the pain that made her ears ring stopped her from feeling the hairs on the back of her neck, to see whether they were standing or not.

Breathing harshly, Mikan wrenched her eyes open and cursed silently when her vision swam. She barely picked up the three figures sitting at a table nearby and she was vaguely aware of the damp smell of earth and wood. She winced when a low, "Damn" escaped her lips.

She closed her eyes when she heard the dark chuckle, "Look who's finally decided to grace us with her presence, boys."

Light footsteps and a prodding foot pushed against her stomach and Mikan growled when she was rolled onto her back. "A little girl," the male voice sniffed disdainfully. "What are those foolish croaks _thinking_? It's almost an insult to have a girl sent after us."

Mikan flexed her jaw and tasted tea and rough cotton against her tongue. Inwardly, she sighed and opened her eyes before the image of three older men came into view.

"The eyes of an innocent," a man chuckled in a hoarse, male voice. "Is she really from the Academy, Kioshi?"

"She's from the Academy alright," Mikan heard the disdain in his voice. "Don't question me, Leo. I'm the one with the Precognition. You're the ass with the Archery skills."

"Ass? I'll show _you _ass—"

"Aw, don't Leo," the third man griped. "That is just _wrong_, okay? Your archery skills can be cool and all but the only thing you managed to do was hit her in the head with a _brick._ I mean, c'mon! A _brick_? That's just low."

Her head was pounding and these lugs weren't helping matters. Mikan couldn't help but wince. _A brick? The guy hit her in the head with a brick? _That explained why her head was positively screaming of pain.

"Shut up, Madara. How the hell was I supposed to know she was a girl? That ass only said there'd be an intruder by the Dark room. Besides, I'm not the one that drowned her in blue paint!"

"Kioshi said the intruder would be invisible! If she didn't have paint on her, you wouldn't have been able to smoke her in the head, asshole!"

She groaned and immediately the voices stilled and she felt another probing foot nudge her in the arm. "Someone take the gag out of her mouth."

A curse and a small grumble was heard before she felt the rag getting pulled out of her mouth, leaving her throat dry as a desert. She coughed and blearily opened her eyes to scrutinize the three men before her. They were all fairly young, approximately in their mid-twenties. They looked like those boys she usually saw at the basketball courts back at her old school…

"You're captured, girl," the one in the front spoke.

"No shit, Kioshi."

Kioshi sent him a lazy glare before pinning brown eyes on her and continuing, "We know you're working for the Academy. What we want to know is what your Alice is and what you were sent for. If your answers are satisfactory, we'll treat you as a guest and not a captive. If not, we'll just sell you to the highest bidder. Now," he smiled a slow, handsome smile. "—let's hope this goes smoothly, yes?"

Mikan narrowed her eyes, shifting her hands and legs, noting they were bound and tied tightly. "You didn't think you could get away, did you?" Kioshi laughed, eliciting small chuckles from the other two. He bent down, tilting her chin up to meet his eyes more securely. "Let's try this once more. What is your Alice? You didn't honestly think you could take us down with just your Invisibility, did you? I doubt the Academy would be _that _stupid. We all started with groups and you're not fit enough to be a solo A-list mission taker if you only have Invisibility going for you."

Her mind swirled and she licked her dry lips, barely noticing the man's moment of brief distraction. Blinking, wondering why they kept her mask on her face, Mikan managed, "Time Manipulation."

"Time Manipulation?" a voice in the background asked curiously. "Now that's something…"

"What the hell would you accomplish with Time Manipulation?" she recognized Leo's voice. "This is lame. I thought we'd get something like the Death Alice or something else cool."

"Shut _up_, Leo. God, you're a whiny bitch."

Meanwhile, Mikan was busy looking for a means of escape. She remembered Persona saying that sometimes the best escape came when you weren't even looking for one but damn him if he thought she'd just wait around for an escape to magically pop up while she was being held _captive._

_Captive…_ To think she was being held captive on her first mission. It wouldn't surprise her if Persona never let her live it down. Stupid prick.

"We'll have to consult with _her_ to see if she'd rather keep the girl. Who knows? Maybe this girl is the key to our dreams."

"Key to _her _dreams, more like—ow, damn! Stupid earpiece!"

There was a loud scuffle and she watched in distaste as the man lowered his face near hers and breathed hotly, "What's your name?"

"Get _off _of me," she rasped through clenched teeth.

His white teeth gleamed and he chuckled softly, "Well, _that _isn't a very sexy name. Let's just take this mask off of you, hm?"

"Don't touch me."

With a patronizingly gleam in his eyes, she watched in horror as he lifted a hand and easily flicked her mask off with a lazy finger. A pleased grin flashed onto his face, "The Academy's losing an angel tonight…"

"Kioshi, what the hell are you doing? Oh fuck it, it doesn't matter! _She's _coming down here tomorrow!"

The hand on her chin stiffened and she heard dark profanities leave his lips before he ordered, "Leo, take her to the Dark room. _She _can find both of them easily enough. We've got to get this place in order. It's not everyday _she _comes here!"

He pulled away and Mikan let a sigh of relief escape her before her arm was lugged roughly into the air and Leo's hoarse voice murmured, "Some angels go to hell, little girl."

And then she was dragged out of the room but the only thing on Mikan's mind was the white fox mask that lay unmoving on the floor.

-;-

The room was dark, which might've explained why they christened it the "Dark room". But it wasn't _just _dark. It was also claimed by another, if the uneven, shallow breaths from the corner were anything to go by.

Mikan rolled from her side to her back and listened closely before turning her head to the far corner and whispering, "Hello? Who's here?"

She felt a tremor shake the room before the small cry, "W-what do you want with m-me?" from a small, feminine voice echoed against the bare walls.

"Aoi? Aoi, I'm a student from Alice Academy and I'm here to take you home," Mikan said in the most soothing voice she could muster. Meanwhile, her wrists were rubbing against the rough rope tied haphazardly around her hands and she could feel the slight bit of moisture collecting at the wiry strings holding the rope together. Hissing, she closed her eyes, ignoring the small whimper, "I don't have a home…"

Gritting her teeth, Mikan forced the barrier away from her body, completely nullifying it before heaving a breath and burning the ropes against her tender skin, hissing when she singed her own. Huffing slightly, she winced at the probing touch to her wrist and got onto her knees, eyeing the room that was drowning in darkness. Slowly getting to her feet, Mikan felt her way around, making sure there wasn't anything else in the room before muttering, "You do have a home, Aoi-chan. If you have someone you love there, like your brother, I'm sure you can see that the Academy is as much a home as any other."

She lit a fireball in her palm and swept her hand to and fro to illuminate the room in dim lighting, her hand immediately stopping when she glimpsed the small form of a bony girl in the corner with her head crushed between her knees, trembling with all her tiny muscles. "Oh God, Aoi…"

She was the frame of a small skeleton with the bare minimum connective tissue on her body. Her hair, which looked so thick and luminous back in her earlier years, looked dry, thin and dirty whereas the rest of her body looked sunken in and tired. Mikan gulped, stepping closer with her warmed palm directing her path. The girl trembled with each step she took.

"Please… no more… don't touch me, please…"

"Oh God, Aoi…" Mikan repeated brokenly, running quickly to her side. "What have they done to you…?"

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked hoarsely, covering her head with both hands. "Don't touch me! You're one of them! You're one of them, don't touch me!"

"I'm not one of them and you have to keep your voice down, Aoi before somebody catches us. I'm not one of them, see? I'm from Alice Academy," Mikan reassured.

"Liar!" she screamed, shrinking within herself. "That's how you got me here! Liar, liar! You're a liar!"

A large, alarmed yell from behind the door made Mikan's head snap upward and she cursed fluidly, trying in vain to hush the younger girl. Heavy footsteps and rough orders were cursed and Mikan quickly stood, looking from left to right before her gaze returned to the whimpering girl on the ground, rocking on the heels of her feet. "I'm… Aoi, I'm sorry."

She was murmuring _liar, liar, liar_ like a mantra under her breath and Mikan's eyes flashed when the doors burst open and guns were cocked at the ready.

"Get down on your knees!"

Her skin tingled with fury and she couldn't help the low growl in her voice when she lifted her head, "You've got to be _kidding _me, bastards…"

"I said get down on your knees, dammit!"

She regarded them with cool, brown eyes, blandly sweeping the room with one hand, "Is this really how you treat a lady?" She scoffed, baring white teeth in fury, "No wonder you all sound like single losers."

Aoi whimpered once more behind her before a gunshot split the air and embedded itself into Mikan's forearm, bursting her brachial vein. She hissed a breath and her head snapped forward when she heard a rough laugh not too far away. "That was a lucky shot," she sneered, keeping the bullet in to block off her blood flow. "That's the only one you'll get from me."

She bit her lip, letting her free arm sweep the room to coat it with blazing, blue fire. And vaguely, she heard the startled yell, "How'd the Hyuuga beat the barrier?" before she leapt backward, hauled Aoi neatly in her arms and bounded into the night. Alarms went off nearby and she ducked back into one of the rooms to locate her fox mask before walking through the walls, disappearing into the night as guards and other armed men scattered toward the warehouse like ants to sugary food. Aoi shivered, her small body wracking with spasms before she cracked her eyes open, her eyes illuminating the area before her with a light fluctuation of red.

Mikan regarded her in awe, watching red eyes slowly accommodate with the outside world. Her features were easily the same as her brothers. High cheekbones made indefinitely more prominent with the minimal food she received, ruby eyes like jewels and the sharp, Hyuuga nose that made her look almost elf-like. Her jaw was soft and feminine, as were the area around her eyes. Soft, dirty skin wrapped tight onto her face and Mikan shuddered, a bright flash of white light blinding her before her arm began to throb in pain.

Inhaling a shuddering breath, Mikan shifted Aoi until her feet hit the floor before sliding her mask back onto her face, loathing the feel of it on her face after that man had touched it.

"You're bleeding," came a small whisper from her right.

"It's nothing," Mikan probed it with a wince. Sighing softly, she blinked her eyes and used the Intangible Alice once more until the bullet dropped, silky wet, into her palm. She smiled at the curious girl before presenting her with the bullet. "See? No harm done."

The sweat that collected at the base of the back of her neck cooled, sending a shiver down Mikan's spine before she looked at the wound with a frown on her face. There was a lot of blood, the crimson liquid almost bubbling as it pooled down the sides of her arms and dripped onto the ground. She grimaced before pressing a hand against it before looking at Aoi once more.

"Can you walk?"

Without answering, Aoi took a shaky step forward and seemed to crumbled to the ground, breathing heavily. Mikan cursed herself for being so slow, taking her hand off the wound to steady the girl back onto her feet. "Can you climb onto my back then?" Mikan asked instead, bending her knees and holding her arms to play make-shift stirrups.

She fell onto Mikan's back with a whimper and buried her face into Mikan's neck, breathing heavily, making the hair on her neck wither with caution. "I'm sorry," she choked softly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Mikan shushed her and got to her feet, wincing once more when she felt the trickle of her blood past her elbow and into her palms. "It's fine," she walked briskly, shifting her around on her back. "I'm not seriously hurt and the mission was a success. Let's just get out of here. This place gives me the heebie jeebies."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get used to it if you just gave it a chance, hm?" replied a smooth, male voice. "Please don't think about moving before we plant another bullet into your body. If you do, we might make a _mistake _and get it in your head. She won't mind too much, considering all the damage you've done within a couple of hours."

Mikan's heart stopped, her back stiffening as Aoi's arms tightened around her neck, the sharp pressure making her dizzy. "Are you expecting an apology?" she asked offhandedly, whispering to Aoi, "Could you loosen your hold please? I can't breathe."

"I'm scared," she whispered, her arms tightening.

"Don't be."

The man's footsteps lodged into gravel and he stepped forward, gun cocked at the ready. "Put her down, Fox," he ordered blandly. "I'm not the only one here with a gun, you know? One wrong move and you're both dead."

She turned around sharply and she heard the barrel getting adjusted before she faced him, a dark expression on her face. "That's a chance I'm willing to take," she hissed and simultaneously, three things happened.

She jumped high, activating her Invisibility as well as her Intangible Alice just as several shots rang out into the air, one of them going right through her body to embed itself into a tree just behind her. Rough orders and dark promises echoed into the night. Trembling Aoi on her back, Mikan teleported the both of them down the street where she'd last seen the limousine and flattened both hands against the fence by the sidewalk, huffing.

The car pulled up and the doors were thrown open before hands grappled for Aoi's body, tugging her into the car. Mikan remained slumped against the fence for another moment before the Principal's voice murmured, "God Mikan, you're crazy."

She remembered slumping against the cushions of the car before the darkness engulfed her.

-;-

Fingers clasped and unclasped in her lap and Aoi wriggled on the wheelchair's cushion, eyes never straying from the white painted door with its small window and the dark words "Emergency Room" written in black paint. She tried not to look at the darkly dressed man beside her, her memories instinctively screaming that he was dark and dangerous. Instead, she continued to clasp her hands together, milking her hands off with remorse.

Patience was never one of her strongest virtues. That one was given to her brother while she had gotten stuck with the compassion. No, he had that too. All she had, it seemed, was guilt. Guilt for being so difficult back there. Guilt for getting her savior wounded. A dark knife twisted in her gut and Aoi placed a small, bony hand over her concave torso, closing her eyes to hide the wince of regret.

Hours seemed to tick by and still, the doctors remained, trapped within the room with the Emergency Room sign glaring holes into her head. The thought made her shiver.

"Ms. Hyuuga, we've got some food for you down in the cafeteria. Why don't you come down and have a bite to eat? You're skin and bones, honey…"

Without letting her eyes stray, Aoi murmured, "No, thank you."

"We've gotten direct orders for you to come eat, dear."

She tore her eyes away from the door for the first time and looked at the nurse with piercing red eyes. "I don't think I could stomach it all anyway."

The nurse sighed, putting her hands up in surrender, "Alright, sweetie. Well, come down if you change your mind."

Aoi turned back to the door, eyes once again looking at the sign that seemed to plague her mind with guilt. She wondered if her savior was alright in there. She was probably hooked up to tons of machines and loads of wires with doctors cutting her open… Aoi closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her index and thumb.

"She's not going anywhere," spoke a voice from beside her. The voice was dark, sending a shiver down her spine and Aoi turned to look at the darkly dressed man. "Go eat."

"No."

There was a dark silence and her skin crawled, even as she looked at the painted letters again, feeling only his dark gaze on her. "I don't want to blink," she whispered, "—and realize she's gone."

Another moment of silence passed before Persona said, "She won't go anywhere."

Aoi looked at him, black eyes boring into hers before she got to her feet and wobbled her way to the cafeteria.

-;-

The machine shuddered and started beeping erratically and Aoi immediately jumped to her feet, looking through the mirror to find Mikan's body writhing under the sheets. She'd been forbidden from going into the room and to be certain, it had been locked from the inside. Her heart sped up as the beeping got louder until she no longer had to keep her ear pressed to the door to hear it.

"There's something wrong…" she whispered shakily. "Help! There's something wrong! Help!"

She watched helplessly as Mikan's jaws worked to breathe deeply from her mouth and when the doctors came darting inside, she could hear the sharp gasps of air from the open door.

_It was hard to breathe and vaguely, _Mikan thought_, nothing seemed to be worth it. What was the point in breathing when she'd already saved a life and all that was left for her was the same repetitive training and the feeling of being a slave for higher authorities? What was the point, really, when she didn't have anybody to fight for?_

She inhaled, her throat suddenly feeling like sandpaper. Her eyes flashing white with pain and her head throbbed with renewed vigor. _It's best to just let go_, she thought. _Just let it go. _

She was running as her throat burst and sizzled with pain down the corridors. There were no doors and only one light at the end of the tunnel, too far away. She was running on nothing, a black abyss that seemed to engulf her feet when she stepped closer to the light, her knees suddenly heavy with lead. _It just wasn't worth the pain and effort._

Mikan stopped, her hands on her knees, sinking slowly into that inky black nothingness as she fought to breathe. _So hard… _Grandpa and Hotaru, right _there_. They were right _there_, just hovering out of reach.

_Come closer…_

They shook their heads sadly, pressing closer together to make room for the High School Principal, Narumi, Persona, Yuri-chan and Miki-chan and Aoi and Natsume. They were reaching, reaching with arms outstretched and she couldn't even _touch _them.

_Why are you tempting me? _She wondered, pleading eyes and voice. _Why are you guys here at a time like this when you know… you know I hate it…_

They had large, knowing smiles on their faces. She inched forward, suddenly determined and reached for Grandpa's hand, only to grab onto nothing. He'd disappeared. Panicking, she made a mad grab for Hotaru and she too, faded against the dark walls of the corridors. She lunged, grabbed, pulled and leapt but nobody stayed. Except Natsume… he was the only one left.

She faced him, breathing hard with a confused expression on her face. _What are you doing here? You don't even like me… why are you just standing there? Why don't you just disappear like the rest of them? How dare you… how dare you get my hopes up like this…_

He remained standing, stoic expression and unrelenting ruby eyes coaxed her to follow. She shuddered a breath before tackling him and he pulled away from underneath her, brushing off his pants, all nonchalant, and turned to walk away.

_Coming? _He drawled with a boyish grin on his face.

Bewildered, she opened her eyes to see him lending her a hand. Mikan was more than surprised when she reached out and grabbed his hand and he didn't disappear. _He didn't disappear._

_Why didn't you…_

A sly smile flitted across his lips and her insides tightened. _You… can find out yourself. _He smirked and started away, breaking out into a brisk run. She blinked rapidly before holding out a hand, her eyes trailing after him. "WAIT!"

She jolted forward.

"She's awake! Onee-chan, you had me worried!"

Imai Subaru walked in, a slow disbelieving smile on his lips. "You're… you're awake."

Her vision cleared from its previous blurry state and she looked weakly at the older boy, holding a clipboard in one hand and a clenched fist in another. "You're a miracle case," he walked to the machines, checking each and writing down the figures. "Lay back."

Mikan closed her eyes, faint images flashing through her mind. _A miracle…_

-;-

"I'm nervous," Aoi whispered softly, clutching the soft fabric of Mikan's sweater.

"Don't be," Mikan looked down, eyeing the girl with sharp eyes. "He's your brother. Be natural."

The girl nodded stiffly and Mikan smiled from underneath her new fox mask. After spending a night cooped up in the hospital, it was a breath of fresh air for Mikan to stretch out her limbs and just _breathe_. She had been forbidden to take on any hard training for the next two days by Dr. Imai himself and Mikan smiled, thinking about how stern he seemed. Persona, on the other hand, hadn't been too thrilled, stating they'd only get behind in training but a meeting with the High School Principal strengthened the decision and she was going to be bedridden, or at least house-ridden, until the two days were up.

This, however, was the exception. She'd been given the task of bringing Aoi to her brother's room, since the only other option was to have Persona do it and Mikan was hardly excited about that. She'd been given the number to his room and the basic plan but with so many students attending Alice Academy, Mikan wondered just how capable she'd be.

After several false turns, they made it to a special star room tucked away in a dark corner of the dormitory, isolated from the rest of the students and immediately, Mikan wondered why.

Turning, Mikan nudged Aoi with her elbow. "This is it. You ready?"

She nodded stiffly and lifted her hand to knock. Hesitating, she looked back nervously, "It's okay to knock, right?" Mikan nodded and she lifted her hand once again to knock on the solid wood door. Losing her nerve, Aoi turned swiftly and folded her arms across her chest. "I can't. I'm too nervous. Can you do it?"

Ushering the girl behind her, Mikan lifted her arm and knocked on the door. At first, they waited with bated breath, excitement dwindling when there was no movement from the other side. Frowning, Mikan knocked several more times and with a muffled curse behind the door that made Aoi giggle, the door was thrown open where a teenage boy, with tousled black hair and angry ruby eyes, glared.

He seemed to be surprised to see her masked face but immediately, his eyes sharpened once more and he snarled, "What do you want?"

Suspiciously, he watched the corners of her brown eyes crinkle with a smile and his eyes twitched when she said knowingly, "Oh nothing. I just wanted to drop off—"

"If it's nothing," he hissed darkly, grabbing the side of the door, "—then leave!"

Mikan, startled and a bit confused, put her arm out just as the door slammed and managed to stop it before huffing in annoyance, shoving the door back violently into the wall with a bang. "Cut the dramatics for someone else, Hyuuga," she snapped viciously, narrowing her eyes. "You're not making a very good first impression to your little sister."

He stiffened, as if just noticing the second presence behind her and Mikan smirked. _So much for being apart of the Dangerous Ability Class…_

He blinked slowly, eyes slowly taking the familiar features of black hair and red eyes, so common among the other Hyuugas. She looked skinnier and a little wobbly but that didn't change a thing. That was his _sister. _

"Aoi," he called stiffly, opening the door a bit larger. "Get in my room."

Confused, Aoi complied and watched, horrified, as her brother lunged at her savior, or Snow Fox, she'd christened herself. His hand was at her throat and a fist was clenched above her head. "Why'd you have my sister?"

Eyes rolled from beneath the mask and Mikan sighed, leaving all traces of emotion behind. "You're such an idiot, Hyuuga."

"Onii-chan!" Aoi whispered harshly, tugging at his arm. "What are you doing to her? She's the one who _saved _me. Get off of her!"

Before he could even react, his body stiffened and a strange chill ran down his spine. His muscles were taut and without any prompts from his brain, Natsume watched with surprise as his fingers uncurled from around the girl's neck.

"That's a good boy," she snickered sarcastically, rubbing her neck softly. "Damn, you've got a grip."

"You—!" he hissed darkly, struggling out of his body's binds. "What's your Alice? Controlling?"

She chuckled, nodding with a jerk of her head. "But of course. Is there any other?" She made a big show of checking her wrist for a watch that wasn't there before she yawned, "Well, I'd better go. Have fun getting reacquainted."

With a backwards wave, she drifted down the hall and without thinking, Natsume latched a hand onto her forearm and tugged her back. She hissed and hid a grimace, "That hurts, jerk. What do you think you're doing?"

She watched him blink down at her arm and she paused, seeing the clear, white scar on her arm from the bullet she'd been hit with. Imai had been able to heal the wound but the poison that accompanied it left a mark on her body, clear as water. Blinking rapidly, she bit her lip and wrenched her arm out from his grip, turning around quickly, making her loose hair tumble down to brush the tips of her shoulder blades.

"Wait," Natsume stumbled upon his words and bit the inside of his cheek, immediately hating the curiosity that bubbled within him. "What's your name?" He figured he'd be able to glean some information from the other Dangerous Ability types tomorrow.

She paused, mid-step and turned her head to throw a bland stare over her shoulder, "Snow Fox."

He blinked and she was gone.

-;-

After Aoi explained about what had happened to her with the AAO, the years in isolation in that one, solitary room and her rescue, she'd fallen asleep dead away. Natsume's mind swirled with questions as he carried his sister to his bed, closing the windows to keep the cold air at bay and grabbed some clothes to take a quick shower.

He wondered why Persona led him to believe they'd taken her and why they hadn't bothered to shove the blame onto the AAO. Surely they could've gotten him to do missions by telling him she'd been captured by the enemy, couldn't they? _You would've called them liars… _his mind piped in. Natsume rolled his eyes and stepped into the shower, letting the scalding hot water burn the stress from his shoulders.

Ruka would want to know about this, surely. They'd all been close when they were younger but now… Natsume frowned slightly. Now, he hoped that lost time didn't break them further apart. His temples throbbed and he pinched his nose to keep the worst of the headache at bay before he toweled off and put some clothes on.

He walked back into his room, running a hand through his wet hair before looking down at his sister's exhausted face, still pale from the lack of sunlight and exercise. He clenched his fists, wondering how in the world he'd managed to let all of that happen to her. This was his little sister. The girl he'd vowed to protect since he'd left his father and look at what happened…

Natsume wanted nothing more to punch something _hard,_ but the thought of leaving his sister or waking her up made his fists tremble until they fell to his sides once again.

He sat on the edge of the bed and his hand fluttered over her cheeks before they clenched once more. _AAO… they'd pay._

Natsume closed his eyes and willed the anger to leave him. Thinking of this wouldn't help matters but he sure as hell wasn't going to sit back and leave them to kidnap Aoi and pretend everything was alright between them once she'd come back. From behind his eyelids, his eyes flared and the cool wind flowing through the open window soothed him, just the slightest.

His eyes flew open as he stared out the window, eyes looking at the open latch and the billowing curtains. _He'd closed it_, he was sure. He stood up, walking over to the window when a white piece of paper fluttered under a medium-sized rock. Lifting the rock off, he read the letter addressed to his sister immediately, his eyes dropped to the table surface, the flash of metal blinded him.

_I'll be back one day, Aoi._

_Snow Fox_

The silver bullet rested innocently on the table as if it had always been there and Natsume's eyes closed as he rested his fingers on it, tracing the grooves and feeling cold metal.

Natsume closed his eyes tightly and hissed a breath from his lips, the air whistling between his teeth. With a sigh, he tucked the covers around Aoi, laying on her other side, watching as she snuggled into his pillow, letting loose a childish giggle.

The corners of his lips lifted just the slightest and he closed his eyes.

'_Til next time, Snow Fox._

* * *

_My Hopeless Romantic_


	5. Difficult Decisions and Untold Secrets

**Disclaimer:** I do not own something that Tachibana Higuchi does.

* * *

**Chapter 5:** _Difficult Decisions and Untold Secrets  
_

_-;-  
_

Kazu Yukihira closed his eyes from both exhaustion and thought, running over the comments from around the table. His closest colleagues had been alerted personally early afternoon and each had come walking into the room with stern expressions on their faces. From Narumi to Jinno, Serina and Noda, the Student Council President and Hi-sama's right hand woman and the other teachers and former students working in the background, Yukihira had invited them all.

The problems involving the Anti-Alice Organization were quickly evolving into something dark and complicating and Yukihira wished to nip the problem in the bud before things got out of hand and the whole of Alice Academy was threatened.

"So let's relay the facts out once again," Shuichi Sakurano, the student council president, murmured aloud, clasping his hands above the table. "The Anti-Alice Organization, who've been dormant for the past few months with the exception of several mission complications, have roused themselves to the surface once again. Serina-sensei says that she can see Reo consulting with someone unnamed. About what, she can't be sure but her readings have only acted up like so when Reo or … _she _have strongly opposed us. Though Serina-sensei can see flashes of what Reo's been up to, when it comes to _her_, nothing comes up. Either she's found a way to nullify the third eye's view or she feels no motivation to go against the school, we have yet to find out however it'd be reckless to count her out. As for our boundaries, the guards have recently noted strange cars parked at the northeast block of the school every couple of days. The cars aren't always the same and the times and days they come are irregular and inconstant but their rounds around the school are consistent. Furthermore, Narumi-sensei has managed to pick up leaked information that a man, with no distinguishable features, has been going around asking about Black Cats and Grey Panthers and some other shadows around our school. Even the mention of a certain _Fox Lady. _We don't have anything concrete because this all may just be coincidence. What we _do _know, is that leaving all of this alone and categorizing it all as just that would be both rash and stupid. Though we don't know what they're up to, I think it's safe to say that there is _definitely_ something up with the AAO."

"What I'd like to know," Jinno piped in after a long moment, regarding Narumi with an eyebrow raised, "—is how _he _managed to find out about that. Is his information even reliable?"

"Tsk, tsk," Narumi frowned, turning to send him a wink. "Of course my sources are reliable! I have connections at the local and private bars, if you know what I'm saying."

"I don't," was Jinno's grim reply.

"Narumi, Jinno—please," Serina sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's been a long day. Now isn't the time to start."

Noda leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands above the table. He'd been quiet as everybody said what they'd gathered and had been sitting still in his seat for the whole proceedings. Now, however, was his first movement of input. "What will we do, Kazu?" he asked. "Knowing the AAO, they're definitely up to something and if their final goal is still as strong as when it began, then Alice Academy awaits another sharp blow from them. And I don't know about you, but the forces against us are much stronger with _her _by their ranks than they were two decades ago. What will we do when they come knocking at our door?"

Again, Kazu closed his eyes, willing the dark headache from his mind. Something in Noda's grey eyes asked him another question, unheard by the ears but whispered nonetheless. _Will you let go of her while she is needed or will you keep her locked away until times are irreversibly dire?_

He'd wanted to keep Mikan out of the Academy scene until she was absolutely needed. She'd only had almost a year of training, only half of the customary two that most Dangerous Ability types had undertaken, and though he wanted to say that she desperately needed the extra year, Yukihira knew that was a lie. Mikan was up there, in rank she'd probably become one of the top shadows in her year but she wasn't her best, not yet anyway. In time, she could reach her full potential but her first mission clearly showed that not only had she almost been killed on her first job, but she still had a ways to go until he was absolutely certain she could survive the missions that would undoubtedly be pushed onto her.

There were only a few shadows in the school that had reached that level of Dangerous Ability type and amongst them were the Black Cat and Grey Panther that had been mentioned earlier. Every mission since they'd reached that level had been a success, every job undertaken had only wounded them with minor scratches and bruises. But Yukihara didn't want that for his niece.

He wanted to train her hard so that when she came out of the whole thing, she'd be able to finish these missions with ease enough not to leave any traces of her Shadow name to the enemy. If what Narumi said was true, then the AAO was already aware of both the Black Cat and the Grey Panther, aware of their abilities and their weaknesses.

That couldn't happen to his niece.

"Those are my worries," Yukihara recounted, evading the part where Mikan was his niece.

"But wouldn't it be possible to just train her while she's on school grounds? Not only could she resume her training while she attends her classes, but as she familiarizes herself with the school grounds, she could also train with her fellow Dangerous Ability type peers," Sakurano suggested.

Several heads nodded in agreement.

"But wouldn't it just be easier to keep her in the mountains, train her there while she is able to remain inconspicuous to _everyone_ besides us, and call upon her when she's needed? We need the element of surprise on _our _side this time. We need a trump card that'll knock some of the AAO off their horses from the shadows with no apparent name and no real figure, a _real _shadow," Jinno declared from his corner. "Not only would it scare the daylights out of those old men, but having a trump card that nobody knows about would definitely give us the upper-hand."

More murmurs of agreement.

Yukihira pinched the bridge of his nose.

"But Mikan isn't a killer," Narumi put in. "On her first mission, she didn't kill everybody that was in her path. That just isn't the way she works. And if you all want her to keep in the shadows, her name needs to be changed and her appearance will need to be changed as well, because whoever captured her and saw her alive, they'll know what she looks like and what her namesake was. If we're going to keep her up there in the mountains, then we might as well have a good excuse to. But if anything, I think we should let her attend the school where not only _us _but the students around her can teach her a thing or two." He paused, thoughtful. "And maybe, they can show her why protecting those around her is so important. She needs to know these students, befriend these students and know their stories. Only then will she reach her full potential. Because I think we _all _can agree, when you're protecting the ones you love, you find the greatest strength of all."

_-;-  
_

"E-Excuse me?" Mikan sputtered, staring at the Principal in surprise. She tried to determine whether he'd been kidding or not but upon seeing the stern expression on his handsome face, she decided he was being serious. "And you're not… kidding?"

Grey eyes, which had been sharp as steel, softened upon falling onto her face and Mikan watched closely as the Principal tucked his hands in his pockets. "No, not kidding," he said slowly, watching as she wiped her dirty hands on her shorts and pushed unruly brown bangs from her eyes.

"Wow, that's incredible," she whispered, a wide grin making its way onto her lips. "I actually can't believe it. Everyday it's been just training, reading, eating and more training so the idea of actually going to _school_ with someone other than that emo-sensei of mine…" Mikan shivered suddenly bursting with energy. "People I know, with Aoi and Natsume—oh, Aoi! I wonder if she'll recognize me at all!" She smiled a small, strangely endearing smile before turning to look at him once more.

"But what about that whole "_You must train for a whole two years"_ thing then," she turned her hands over, not even looking at the white tornado of wind on her palms.

"Well, it's not as simple as you think it is," Yukihira looked away from his niece. "You'll continue training as you go to school, but instead of the hours you read for at night, you'll learn in school. Not only that, but I believe the idea of Dangerous Ability types has already been explained to you. These kids are the same as you, with the same abilities and same responsibilities. They are currently going on missions and protecting the school and its students their own way. You'll find that you may learn quite a few things by the students there as well as from the teachers that will continue to train you."

The bright smile on her face fell. "More training? Aww," she groaned. "I thought I'd be able to be a _normal_ kid again. School, friends…" She pouted sullenly but looked up quickly. "But you said there's a group of kids just like me, right? As messed up and anti-social as I am?"

Yukihira couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You're not messed up, Mikan. And you _are _normal, amongst the rest of us."

"Well, at least I know Aoi and Natsume…" she grumbled.

He shifted and Mikan immediately caught the movement of hesitation. "Oh no, what now? Don't tell me their memories have been erased or I'm going to have to pretend I don't know them or I'm going to have to avoid them or something stupid like that," she groaned, squatting onto the ground sullenly, drawing pictures into the ground.

Yukihira stayed still, watching as the depressed faces and the tear drops disappeared from the ground and floated upwards into the air. This was his niece, his depressed and unconfident niece who sat dejected on the ground. How could he do this to her? The blood of his brother, his _own _blood. Her parents had gone through enough pain and confusion… did their baby girl have to go through the same thing?

"No, nothing like that. In reality, it's a good thing you know them beforehand. It'll make reintroducing the both of you easier. The thing is, Mikan, you're going to have to change your mission name. I know how much you liked _Snow Fox_, but it's imperative that something else be chosen before your next mission. I don't know if Persona's told you, but missions in Alice Academy, safe for your first, has always been done in twos for a beginner's sake. Sometimes missions are done in greater numbers depending on their difficulty." He paused, watching the question and rapt concentration on her face. "What I'm trying to say is, you're not going to be alone. Not anymore, anyway."

She seemed to consider him, remaining in her sullen squat. She was dirty. Dirt tracks were on her face, smeared with her sweat and the bangs that kept themselves stuck to her forehead showed just how much Persona had exerted her. There were minor scratches on her legs and large craters on the ground. Her slow breathing countered the display of power around her.

"What'll happen to Persona?" she asked at last. "I mean, I really don't like the guy, sure, but he's a pretty decent teacher. He's one of those really grueling, ill-tempered guys that you can't help but learn from. I wouldn't _mind _having him around to teach me."

"Touching."

"If you thought you caught me off-guard, I knew you were eavesdropping from the beginning." Mikan rolled her eyes, without turning in her squat. "I was trying to humor you, hoping that you'd buy me that penguin I've been wanting since forever."

Yukihira blinked at their mindless banter. When had they gotten so friendly with each other? He supposed it was a good thing… but something in his stomach felt raw and hot… Was he jealous that his niece was getting along with his colleague better than she was with him?

"You know I'm going to make you work twice as hard because of that, don't you?" Persona sniffed disdainfully from wherever he was crouching. He still hadn't dignified them with his presence but Mikan seemed to know where he was. She turned to glare sullenly into the trees before she stuck her tongue out with mock anger.

"Screw you, hippie."

A dagger flew from out of nowhere and Mikan jumped into the air before launching herself into the trees. Apparently they were both okay with the new arrangements, Yukihira thought. If only she hadn't cut off the conversation by running to _him_… maybe he'd feel better about it.

_-;-_

"So this is my room, huh?" Mikan chewed on a slab of gum. "It's bigger than I would've guessed. Does this mean I'm one of those Special Stars that are so rare in this place?"

Narumi laughed and the Principal chuckled but answered, "No, no. We'd love to give you the Special Star room but talk of a new girl immediately getting the Special Star status will definitely leave room for many rumors to circulate around the school. You've got the Three Star status which, though it isn't quite as honorary as the Special, still leaves room for many perks and respect." He seemed to hesitate before adding, "Plus, the AAO is frequently looking closer at Special Stars. Being a Three Star will put you a little under the radar."

"'kay. Sweet," Mikan murmured, dropping her duffle bag on the ground. They had teleported from her room in the cabin to the front of the dormitories late at night when other students would be safe in bed. Apparently curfew was twelve for Senior students but most of them went in early on school nights. Mikan thought that was a shame but apparently it worked for them.

She wasn't quite used to having a curfew since Persona hadn't really cared enough to make one.

"It doesn't really matter what Star I am as long as I'm not a no-star. Their perks sound horrible," she sniffed. "Then again, I'm just happy I'm able to go to school now. Being up there in the mountains is nice and all but it can get really stuffy when you're with a man that has only one facial expression and the suffocating, emo aura of doom."

Narumi shook his head with a smile on his face, "You should be glad he didn't want to come to your housewarming, Mikan. Or else he'd put you through harder drills for sure."

"If he does," Mikan smirked, walking further into the room, "—then I say, bring it _on_."

She heard a snort of laughter from behind her but she only continued walking into her room, looking at the different things they'd collected in there. It was larger than her cabin room with a built in bathroom with a tub, shower, sink and toilet; nothing more than she needed and nothing less. There was a TV that she'd probably never use, a laptop, desk and bed. There was even a refrigerator with complementary sodas and water bottles. Again, there was nothing more and nothing less than what she needed.

"Well, we can't say we didn't buy you a few housewarming presents," Narumi began, grinning when he'd caught up to her side. At this, Mikan turned, startled. Not by his presence that she'd felt since she'd left his side, but by the statement he'd just expressed. "Gifts? Haven't I been pampered enough?"

Ignoring her, they each held one gift. Small but wrapped in green wrapping paper, Mikan had a sneaking suspicion that someone had wrapped these gifts for them. Instead of voicing her suspicions, she took Narumi's gift first not noticing the slight downturn to the Principal's features before opening it up to find a cell phone.

"A cell phone? Why would I need a cell phone?" Mikan asked. "Not that I'm not grateful…"

"Anything you want," the Principal answered easily. "To tell you the truth, the cell phone is mainly a lifeline in case something dire transpires and we'd like to contact you. Or vice versa. If there is something of great importance, it is imperative that you contact us immediately."

"Right," Mikan muttered seriously, "—I should've known it was about business."

"Not all about business," Narumi cut in quickly, sending the Principal a dark look. "You can easily use the cell phone when contacting your friends as well. I'm sure there are a few of them out there with a cell phone."

At that, Mikan smiled a small smile.

The small gift that was then thrust into her face made Mikan blink, and she received the gift after a moment of surprise. The Principal had turned his head away so Mikan didn't really know what to expect. Unwrapping the gift, Mikan discovered one of those strange music players that she'd seen on her way to school being worn by early runners as they exercised. She liked music, of course, but how was one supposed to work a music player like this?

The Principal shifted uneasily and Mikan glanced up in question.

"I took the liberty of putting some songs I thought you might like on there," he muttered with hesitation. "Of course… if you don't like them, I'll be showing you how to add and delete songs from it."

Mikan didn't know why, but there was something about this man that gave her a weird feeling in her stomach. It wasn't one of those bad, intuitive feelings because it was obvious, this man wasn't bad but… there was just something very suspicious about him, like he knew things about her that she didn't and the feeling was _unnerving_. It felt like there were many things, many secrets, he was keeping from her.

Not that it was her business at all… but again, the strange feeling in her stomach told her that these secrets involved _her_. It might've been in the way he acted: cautious, hesitatingly and unsure. It might've even be in the way he spoke: a mixture of tenderness, seriousness and hope.

She might've been getting ahead of herself. These thoughts were only intuitive leaps, after all. But as he smiled that hopeful, hesitant smile of his, Mikan could only smile and hope that someday, she'd find out the truth.

Because this man, so tall and handsome and so powerful underneath the façade of lanky, school principal, definitely had secrets to tell. And that knowing feeling in the pit of her stomach told her there was something big about _her_ he's been trying to keep to himself.

"I know you didn't bring many clothes with you here, so a few teachers took the liberty in choosing some clothes for you from Central Town that can be found in your wardrobe. Nothing extravagant and nothing shabby but they hope you like them anyway," Narumi smiled cheerfully. He bent down to whisper to her, "I bought you the really good stuff, Mikan-chan. Who knew Serina had such bad fashion sense, hm?" he added.

"Alright, we'll let you get used to your room. You'll be starting school in several days because there are some matters that need to be handled before you can be admitted. Persona, however, will be coming down here to wake you up for your usual training sessions until then." Yukihira took a breath and looked around the room before settling his eyes on hers. "Oh, before I forget, I must stress the fact that it's imperative you aren't seen around the school too early on or rumors will circulate. And I know how much you don't like being the center of bad attention."

Mikan grinned, sending him a scoff for good measure. "I can't make any promises, Principal-sama."

And she laughed because the Principal looked like he was torn between amusement, offense and worry.

* * *

_My Hopeless Romantic_


	6. Old Friends and New Identities

**Disclaimer:** I do not own something that Tachibana Higuchi does.

* * *

**Chapter 6:** _Old Friends and New Identities_

_-;-  
_

Mikan liked to believe she wasn't a picky person.

She ate all kinds of vegetables. She persevered through the training Persona put her through. All in all, she liked to think she was an easy going person. So why did she care so much about a different _bed?_

She'd been tossing and turning ever since she'd stumbled into the shower following another grueling training session with Persona in some abandoned part of the Northern Forest. She'd counted on him to work her hard enough so that she'd practically die on her bed but alas, her nerves overrode every sore muscle and bruise on her body.

_She was going to attend her first classes in a few hours_.

The thought made mutant butterflies dance in her belly and her restless nerves flutter rapidly around her limbs. If she thought she'd been nervous the night before, Mikan laughed at how nervous she was by morning. Her sleep had been restless as she tossed back and forth under the covers. She'd spent the night fluffing her pillows, snuggling with whatever was on her bed and drinking about four glasses of warm milk but none of her remedies helped in the least. If anything, the constant need to pee and the nervous thoughts that plagued her mind kept her up with short periods of sleep in between… when she was lucky.

Questions, like _are they going to like me? _and _how am I supposed to act?, _popped into mind and despite Narumi's easy reassurances and the Principal's warm smiles, a million other fourteen-year-old concerns raced through her mind.

By morning, Mikan lay atop the covers with dark circles under her eyes, massive butterflies in her stomach and about three hours to kill before she was supposed to step into her classroom for the first time.

The thought alone made her sick.

Who would've thought that going to school was a reality to her now. School hadn't even been what she was working for this whole time. The training she'd undergone hadn't been to finally be able to attend classes and make friends. Mikan knew the reasons had been less superficial than that. It was for people like Aoi and for the children as young as three and four years old she'd seen walking listlessly around Alice Academy. It was for people from the Dangerous Ability class and the older senior students who knew the workings from the other side of the Academy walls that had to laugh without the twinkle the younger students knew and who – when they thought no one was looking – would look over their shoulders with suspicion.

But Mikan had watched and she knew some of their realities. She couldn't help but think it'd be a real experience to know more than just what their actions said.

After a while, Mikan looked at the blinking digits of her digital clock to find that only several minutes had gone by. Sighing, she threw off her covers and got ready for school, grabbing the first middle school uniform she could get her hands on within her closet. Anxious, she looked into the full length mirror on the back of her wardrobe and pulled at the hem of her skirt. It was a little on the short side and having not worn something so breezy for a little more than a year, it just felt a little… off.

Her uniform had been pressed and prepared for her so she looked immaculately normal in it. Her hair was longer than it was when she'd last seen it but not obnoxiously long and she toyed with the idea of putting it either in pigtails, down or in a ponytail. A moment of irritation had her tossing her hair into a low ponytail, letting it rest on the curve of her shoulder and a little down her front.

Without any more thought, Mikan swept out of the room and felt her cell phone vibrating against her thigh. Knowing it could only be two of several teachers, she answered with a curious, "Hello?"

It was Narumi. _"Ha! I knew you'd be awake,"_ was his cheeky reply. _"What are you doing right now? Where are you?" _

Mikan looked around her, turning full circle. "I'm not too sure. I just left my room and I'm roaming around the hallways."

"_Do you think you can find the teacher's lounge?"_

Mikan bit her lip. "Yeah, I think I can manage."

He offered some directions and then hung up.

Mikan wandered for a good half hour before finally making it to the lounge, not actually _knowing _it was the lounge until she saw Narumi sipping tea by the large windows overlooking the school grounds. Mikan stepped up uncertainly, unusually nervous around him.

Narumi looked over, purple eyes brightening. "Good morning! Might I say, you look lovely in your uniform?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Thanks, Narumi-sensei. I hope you're not hitting on me though. The whole teacher-student thing is a 'no' for me."

Narumi laughed good-naturedly. "Actually, I only have eyes for one girl and unfortunately, it's not you."

"Unfortunately?"

He sighed. "Mikan, I'm not a pedophile."

Mikan nodded briskly, "Good to know, good to know."

"Okay, well there's a reason I called you in early," Narumi folded his hands together, turning to look at Mikan pointedly. "It's important you don't tell anyone about your Alices. There are dark figures in the shadows, even here, and who knows what they'll do in order to get their hands on a Nullification Alice, or worse, your SEC Alices."

Mikan kept her eyes on the mugs around the tables and the books left laying around before she answered with a mild shrug. "Narumi-sensei, who do you think I am? Of course I know! I was going to go for a really cool Alice. Like Earth Manipulation or Time Travelling, like Noda-sensei's!"

Narumi raised an eyebrow sardonically. "I remember you saying you told Natsume and Aoi that your Alice was Controlling."

Mikan's face fell and she punched the palm of her hand with disappointment. "Dang it! Foiled because of a miscalculation!"

Narumi only grinned. "Let's get you to class, you clown."

-;-

When Narumi stepped into the classroom, it was its usual rambunctious and busy place. Alices were being used left and right and objects were being thrown through the air without consequence. Narumi likened the Academy to be a fun place, outside all of the missions and shady happenings going on outside of the Academy walls. Though the class was somewhat divided, the atmosphere was as lively and enthusiastic as ever.

The class hadn't even noticed his presence when he'd come in so Narumi waited and watched as Yuu Tobita tried to calm down his fellow students. Figuring he'd give the kid a break, Narumi clapped his hands and bellowed, "Who wants to stay after class and help me categorize the different leaves around the forest with Misaki-sensei?"

Immediately, the chatter stopped except for twin giggles from Umenomiya and Ogasawara who he knew to have a massive crush on the Biology teacher. Shaking from his thoughts, Narumi counted heads and inwardly smirked at the usual five empty seats. _Maybe he'd have a little fun with Mikan's arrival…_

He clapped his hands together and smiled at those in class. "Good morning, guys! Before you hand in your assignments from last day, we have an important matter to discuss." He watched as several students straightened and vague whispers started around class before he continued, "We're going to have a new female student join our class starting today."

Abruptly, the class erupted into discussion, everyone tittering with excitement or suspicion. He waited for them to settle before announcing, "Well, enough suspense, I suppose. Mikan Sakura, come on in!"

Hotaru, who was busy leafing through another textbook, immediately looked up, wondering why she was holding her breath and hoping against hope that Mikan was _not _actually here. She'd never make it out alive in this place. She looked up in time to see the brunette girl, so familiar yet distinctly different than she was several years before. As if sensing her gaze, Mikan looked over and brown eyes locked onto purple and time seemed to stop.

"Class, this is Sakura—"

"Hotaru…"

In unison, the class blinked in surprise. Not two years ago, the Ice Queen had graced them with her presence and now, a random girl comes that knows her name and, calls her by her first name without dignifying it with a –san or –chan?

Mikan seemed to blink back to reality before swallowing and taking a deep breath. Before doubts could plague her, Mikan launched herself across the room and into her best friend's reluctant arms, bellowing, "HOTARU!" There were murmurs of 'I miss yous' and several other greetings coming from Mikan and Narumi coughed back a laugh. "If you could come back for a second more, Mikan, I'd be happy to let you all out early to get to know each other." He paused and cracked a cheeky grin, "Or in this case, catch up."

After Hotaru told her none too gently to 'get off me', Mikan reluctantly retracted her arms and moved back to the front of the class, ignoring the curious looks her peers sent her way.

After all, _how could Hotaru be here?_

Before Narumi could finish off his introductions, the class was in an uproar with questions. Left and right and yelling over each other, Mikan blinked, trying in vain to listen to one question before another overrode it completely.

"What's her Alice?"

"What's her rank!"

"Where did she come from?"

"How does she know Imai?"

Narumi clapped his hands once more before Mikan took up the first question. "I have the Controlling Alice. Basically, I can manipulate living things with energy." Narumi eyed her bouncing frame and continued, "She can also absorb the energy of whatever she decides to control. She is a Three Star and starting briefly in the…" Narumi bit his lip, "The Dangerous Ability type class."

Another flurry of whispers shook the classroom and Narumi spied the suspicious, almost fearful looks on the students' faces. "You may ask Mikan whatever other questions you may have of her on your free time. With more pressing matters to address, I'd like to assign Mikan a partner before you hand in your assignments. Now who here doesn't have a partn—"

The sound of the door being violently thrown open cut Narumi's question off short, but he was too delighted to see the Black Cat to care about Natsume's usual obnoxious entrance. The boy really did have a way of capturing everyone's attention. He may not have intended to become one of the most popular boys in their division, but Natsume Hyuuga got it all with his walk alone. His countenance was lazy, but confident. He had power in his strides with the steady back and forth movement of his shoulders. He exuberated leadership qualities and was never one to stand still.

Natsume Hyuuga may be a lot of things, but idle wasn't one of them.

And if Narumi understood the look on Mikan's face just right, he knew she'd caught at least that much, too.

Mikan thought his facial structures were abnormal for a boy. He had high cheekbones, a strong jaw and strict, defined eyebrows. She shouldn't have been so surprised, really. It wasn't as if she hadn't been privy to his good looks the second time she met him with Aoi but… in the space of only a month, he'd grown several inches taller.

Seeing him again made her already subtle grin, widen.

"Natsume!" Narumi boomed in his obnoxiously cheerful tone. "You're _just _in time to meet your new partner, Mikan Sakura. You're the only one not paired off with a partner, am I right?"

Natsume's features visibly darkened as Narumi scuttled out of the classroom with a knowing, sheepish grin on his face and a 'play nice!' lingering in the classroom. Everyone waited with bated breath to see the impending explosion, but Natsume had taken one look at the new girl, blinked several times, shrugged and headed over to pick up a forgotten manga from his desk.

Mikan had gone over to Hotaru, who was already packing up and walking out the door. "Hotaru, wait up!" She was already bouncing out of the door after her. "I don't see you for _years _and this is how you greet me?"

Natsume glanced at them blandly, following with his manga in hand and his best friend to his right. "Oi," he muttered lowly, looking at her with disinterest. "You're coming with us for the day," he nodded to his group. "Come." And then he started walking in the opposite direction to where Imai was heading. He still had a bone to pick with the new girl.

Mikan sputtered, but Hotaru just half-turned, raised an eyebrow at the Hyuuga and said, "We'll talk later, Idiot. Let Hyuuga show you around."

Mikan sputtered again, "B-but Hotaru!"

But she'd immediately left.

With uncontained fury, Mikan rounded on the slightly smug Hyuuga and proceeded to poke him roughly in the chest. "I hope you're happy, you sniveling, little dope! I haven't seen my best friend in _years! _Leave it to **you** to wreck our reunion!"

The class recoiled in shock before roaring, "How dare you talk to Natsume like that! You don't know a thing about him!"

It took a vague ringing in her ears for Mikan to realize they were trying to use their Alices on her. It took another second for her to remember they weren't supposed to know about her Nullification Alice. With a touch of annoyance, Mikan let down her defenses and let herself be lifted slowly into the air but when she was being thrown straight into a wall, it was just too low not to do anything.

She spotted a bald kid in the corner doing manipulations with his hands and temporarily paralyzed his arms. The look of surprise on his face was almost worth it. With a grace the class wasn't expecting, Mikan double flipped in the air and landed gracefully on her feet.

Silence met the class before Natsume muttered vaguely, "We've already met." Then he turned and left the class, the blond boy by his side earlier grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the classroom with him.

"Natsume, wait," the blond boy said in exasperation. "You can't just leave the girl alone after verbally separating her from Imai. That's just cruel."

Natsume turned around and eyed her somewhat disdainfully before he looked back at his friend. "Ruka, just leave her alone. I need to show you something."

Without another word, Natsume turned. 'Ruka', on the other hand, turned to look at her apologetically. "I'm really sorry."

The both of them left soon after, leaving Mikan to her own devices. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered her in the least. With the training with Persona and all, Mikan had learned to appreciate the time she had for herself. Now, however, was a different story. It was one thing to roam the school grounds copying different Alices. It was another thing altogether to work the inside of the Academy.

She'd been turning around and around in the same spot, trying to figure out the direction in which Hotaru had gone when she felt the faint prickle of her hair standing on end at the back of her neck. Sighing, Mikan turned to find herself surrounded on one side by five girls.

A pretty girl with green hair stepped forward with one hand on her hip. The smile on her face, Mikan thought, had an edge of cruelty, even though it was indefinitely pretty. "Mikan Sakura," she drawled slowly, eyeing her up and down. "I don't like making enemies, but you're quickly becoming one. Tell me, how do you know Natsume?" Mikan frowned, but before she could answer, the girl waved her off. "It doesn't matter. I would like to advise you, however, that it'd be smart if you stayed away from him." Her smile turned quickly into a sneer. "You'll find yourself in something I'm sure you don't want to be involved in if you do."

Mikan fought the laugh itching at her throat. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, "Is that a threat, Permy-san?"

The girl's lips twitched in either amusement or annoyance. "No, Sakura-san. That was a promise. And it would do you well to remember: my name is Sumire Shouda."

-;-

After a rough day of dealing with petty threats from Natsume's friends, being lost for half an hour and looking for Hotaru in vain, Mikan headed to class the next day, only to find Narumi at his desk and nobody in their seats. Hesitantly, she stepped into the room, an inquisitive eyebrow raised all the while until she reached Narumi's desk with a curious 'huh'.

"Ah, Mikan," Narumi looked up with a pleasant grin on his face. "What can I do for you?"

She made a show of looking around at the empty classroom before looking at him pointedly and muttering, "Where _is _everybody?"

"Not in class," he replied offhandedly, going back to marking the assignments from last day. "They're all in their Mixed Classes today. I'm sure Persona has told you about them, no?"

She frowned and muttered, "Vaguely. And when I say 'vaguely', I mean 'yes, but I don't know where the hey I'm supposed to go'. Help me out?" She asked, jutting out her bottom lip. Narumi laughed and jerked his head towards the door. "Get out of here, you clown."

He didn't answer the question.

Before long, Persona pushed the door open impatiently and barked, "Why are you standing there, you useless little thing? Hurry up." His black lips turned up into a sneer. "You're such a weak child," he leered. "Keep up, keep up. I'm not going to tell you twice."

Mikan instantly frowned and fought the urge to flip him off. "Alright, I'm coming. I'm coming."

Through the slits of his mask, Persona looked down at her disapprovingly. "Retrieve your mask immediately. You'll learn that whenever you attend your Mixed Class, you'll be required to wear your mask. Am I absolutely clear?"

"Crystal," Mikan sneered back. Before he could reprimand her for the cheek, she'd teleported to her room and retrieved her new mask, one of a cheetah. When she was back by Persona's side, she let out her questions freely, "What are we going to do in our class?"

He sent her a cool, sidelong glance, ignoring her question completely. She harrumphed and slowed so that she was walking a step behind him. He was all dark apparel and cold auras, with a powerful set to his shoulders and a no nonsense line to his jaw. It wasn't a wonder why all of the milling students seemed to give him a wide berth.

After some time, they ended up at a closed off corridor where the hallway ended. Mikan, wondering what the hell Persona was planning, was startled when Persona whirled around and set his beady black eyes on her. "What do you see?"

"A dead end," Mikan deadpanned, knocking on all three walls for good measure. "Did you want me to find out your secret passageway or something?" At his affirmative grunt, Mikan knocked on all three walls again before catching the slightly hollow sound of the wall they were facing. "Let me guess? There's going to be some hidden tile somewhere here that, when pushed, will open up to a door which will lead to your hideout."

Persona snorted. "You've watched too many movies."

Mikan shot him a mock offended look before comparatively knocking on two tiles on the wall. With an _oh please _expression on her face, Mikan put one of her palms gently on one of the tiles and slowly jiggled it out of its place. What it uncovered was a safe-like knob with numbers. "Aha!" she crowed, delighted, "I was close enough! It's just a shame this school isn't as high tech as I hoped it'd be. What's the password, doc?"

Persona eyed her somewhat distastefully before pushing past her and entering the password himself. The safe's door opened to uncover another pad of buttons, all color-coded. He proceeded to press blue, red, orange, green, green before the wall shifted completely to reveal a solid, oak door.

He shot her a sidelong glance. "You'll be giving a demonstration today on your skills. It serves as a means to classify you on the types of missions you'll be capable of."

Mikan nodded, slipping the mask on her face. "What am I, again?"

"Silver Cheetah."

She snickered, "That is _so _dorky."

Persona scoffed, not amused, "Live with it." Then, he opened the door and stepped in.

The room was a rather large one, smelling faintly like an old warehouse. It was cold, with cement flooring, metal structures and the smell of cool dirt and stale air. Mikan didn't like it. What distracted her from the unfriendliness of the place, however, was the fact that it was covered in multi-sized targets.

She walked into the room, immediately catching sight of the long line of students at the back, all standing in single file with their backs ramrod straight, heads up and hands clasped behind their backs.

"We've got a new girl," Persona's voice was chilling in its low baritone. "I'm sure you all remember this exercise." As one, the whole of the class dispersed, clinging onto the metal structures holding up the ceiling or hanging around the windowless sills and whatever other flat surface allowed them the reprieve.

Mikan couldn't help but notice they all seemed a little too… excited.

It was slightly unnerving.

"Silver Cheetah is one of us," he announced like they had no idea. "I'm sure you'll give her a very… warm welcome."

A couple of snickers whispered into the air.

He turned to her with a faint smirk on his lips. "There are one hundred and fifty targets around this place. When I start my timer," Persona held up a small pocket watch, "You will begin. You will have one minute to hit all of your targets." Mikan almost scoffed, but the dark glint in her teacher's eyes made her swallow and wait. "There is a challenge, however," Persona continued frostily. "Your fellow Dangerous Ability peers will be using their Alices on you to prevent you from finishing your task. They will not block your darts and you will not harm them unless necessary." His lips were in a full-out leer now, but Mikan had a feeling he wasn't leering at her, but at her peers. "Feel free to use your Alices."

The atmosphere around her crackled with energy as she wrapped her fingers around the darts placed on the table beside her. Weighing one of them in her hand, Mikan cast a look around the room, briefly making note of how she was completely surrounded. It was almost creepy, the expectant, anxious looks on their faces.

She grimaced, and then looked at Persona expectantly. With his command, the room erupted into chaos and Mikan was quickly thrown into the mix. Alices were throbbing against her unconscious use of her Nullification and she made quick work of the darts in her hands. They didn't try to force her into hand to hand combat, for which she was slightly grateful, but their Alice attacks were relentless, if not a bit curious. She wasn't supposed to be using her Nullification. It would just make way for suspicion when no attacks landed on her.

Without further thought, she extinguished her Nullification and was almost knocked down by a large gust of vicious wind. Rolling out her muscles, Mikan weaved through the mess of Alices and made off with more than a dozen more shots before a wave of intense heat lifted the back of her shirt and she turned around quickly before controlling the Water Alice from across the room and sending a thick stream of water at the incoming fireball.

Enchanted by the rush of steam, Mikan dodged the half dozen distracted attacks by a quick duck and roll before landing on her knees and hitting several more targets. A quick flick of her wrist finished off the last of them and after evading several more attacks and catching her breath for another several seconds, the timer in Persona's hands went off and the room erupted into a hum of whispers.

A moment's silence passed before Persona gave her a congratulatory smack on the back. The exclamation of warning from somewhere across the room gave Mikan a shock before Persona muttered a low oath. Mikan barely caught the low, _"I thought he was going to use his Alice on her!"_

Persona cleared his throat. "That's the end of your Mixed lesson for today. For those who have missions tonight, you know where the debriefing is going to be held. The rest of you, meeting adjourned."

Before the last words were out of his lips, the class had vanished and Mikan scratched the back of her head in wonder. "I was hoping for a warmer welcome than _that_," she muttered finally, itching at her nose. "You could've warned me about becoming a target myself, you know. I could've done well to be prepared. Aw! I used my Nullification for the first half of the demonstration. I feel like I cheated!"

Persona looked at her coolly. "You do not get special treatment, Silver Cheetah. You should do well to remember that."

Mikan pouted.

Turning away from her, Persona continued, "You'll be included amongst the A-List mission roster starting today. Your next training session is tomorrow morning by the Eastern Forest."

-;-

Natsume briefly wondered about the new girl. There was something that just wasn't sitting right with him. After all, Natsume wasn't a stupid kid. He was going on fourteen years old now, and when a new girl decides to arrive to both his Mixed Class and his regular classes within the span of two days, with the same color hair and stature, the most likely deduction that can be made is that the new girl in both classes are one and the same.

To think the new girl was the obnoxious, loud-mouthed thing he'd met just a year ago…

_Silver Cheetah, huh?_

She wasn't a Snow Fox, that much was for certain.

"Hey Natsume! Whatcha reading?"

Slightly startled, Natsume slowly slid his gaze down towards the ground and met with the new girl. Mikan Sakura. The sight of her reminded him he'd wanted to question her about her past year. He remembered her telling him vaguely about taking two years off for… something. He never _had _made it a point to listen to stupid, childish girls anyway.

"I know you can heaaaar me," Mikan sing songed, climbing rather gracefully up the tree to sit beside him. "Whatcha up to?" She chewed a slab of gum in her mouth.

Looking at her blandly, Natsume ignored her and asked, "What have you been doing for the past year?"

A sly smile made its way onto her lips. "Is Natsume Hyuuga interested in my past?" she teased, tugging at a piece of long hair going into his eyes. He growled at her viciously, to which she replied, "It's none of your business."

He scowled. "What do you want then?"

"Weeeell," she dragged out the word, leaning back onto the palms of her hands and staring up at the sky. "I do have a teensy, tiny favor to ask of you." He immediately muttered 'no' to which she completely ignored and tried, "It's almost nothing, really. I've heard of this little temptress called the Central Town Carnival and was wondering if you'd chase after her with me." She smiled cheekily, undeterred when his neutral expression didn't wane. "It's only because I have to go with my partner! … Please?"

He pretended to think about it, before he deadpanned, "No."

Mikan opened her mouth to continue the onslaught of begging and puppy dog eyes when a familiar, feminine voice yelled, "Onii-chan!"

They both jumped from the tree and landed nimbly onto the ground.

And there she was, all black hair and red-eyed, just like the last time she'd seen her. She was definitely more vibrant and lively looking, her flimsy arms and legs were meatier and more sturdy. She looked well, really well. Something akin to pride filled Mikan's belly.

"Onii-chan, can you come to the carnival with me?"

Mikan felt Natsume's brief sidelong gaze and annoyance radiated off of him in waves. With a winsome smile, Mikan nudged him in the arm. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your lovely sister, Natsume?"

Aoi giggled before she settled her large crimson eyes onto her. Her mouth promptly dropped open. "Onee-chan…?"

Mikan winked before ruffling her hair and leaving. "What'd'ya say, Natsume? Coming to the Carnival?"

Natsume sighed, feeling a migraine coming on. "Whatever."

She pumped the air with her first before leaving with a bright grin. Natsume called her a freak under his breath, not really noticing how pale Aoi had turned.

"Onii-chan… I think that was her."

-;-

Natsume scoffed for the hundredth time since he'd come back from dinner. To think, Aoi thought Mikan _Sakura _was her Snow Fox? It was almost unreal! The girl was freakishly immature and deceivingly innocent. But if his deductions were right, then her abilities as the Silver Cheetah _did _make it seem like she was up to par with Snow Fox. But why the name change? What had she been doing for the past year? The more he thought about it, the more curious he became.

The girl had told him the first time they'd met that she'd be gone for two years. Two years until they'd meet again. She came back in a little more than a year with the alias Silver Cheetah. Within the year she was absent, Snow Fox came, saving his sister in the process.

She _had _to be Snow Fox.

All Natsume needed to know now was why they had different aliases and what exactly she'd been up to during her one year absence.

-;-

"Hotaru!"

With an audible sigh, Hotaru turned around and waited loyally for her childhood best friend to catch up. The girl promptly engulfed her in a long, one-armed hug before chattering her way into Hotaru's lab, eyes lighting up when she caught the boxes of metal nuts and bolts, as well as the instruments she'd used since they were kids. It felt like so long ago that they were together, without a care in the world.

Hotaru watched as Mikan flitted shamelessly around the room, not bothering to mask her expression of pure delight. Fixing her lips, Hotaru asked bluntly, "Where did you go?"

Mikan looked uncertain before her face cleared and she shrugged. "I met with the Principal who thought it'd best I train my Alice before coming to school. Said it was dangerous and all that if I was let loose into the school without proper training." She whirled around with her hands clasped behind her back and a bright, curious smile on her lips. "Say! I still can't believe you're here! What's your Alice?"

Hotaru snorted and made a gesture around her lab. "Can you not guess it yourself?" Hotaru raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Ever the idiot, I suppose. I… You worried me."

Mikan looked like she was about to tear up and hug her, so Hotaru shifted against the wall and demanded instead, "Are you doing missions for the Academy?"

Without skipping a beat, Mikan replied quietly. "Yeah."

Hotaru's eyes glazed in anger. After a calming breath, she offered, "Then I'll help prepare you."

"Thanks," she returned carefully, eyeing her best friend with a tender affection. "You know… I missed you a lot, Hotaru." She brightened, then, and grabbed her hand, tugging her out of the room. "Do you mind if I sleepover?"

Hotaru sighed. "Go get your things, Stupid."

"Okay!"

"One more thing."

"Hm?"

The sound of her Baka Gun going off several times echoed around the room before Mikan groaned and bellowed, "OW! WHY HOTARU?"

_Because I was worried sick._

* * *

_My Hopeless Romantic_


	7. Half Answered Questions and Motivations

**Disclaimer: **I do not own something Tachibana Higuchi owns.

* * *

**Chapter 7: **_Half-Answered Questions and Unknown Motivations_

_-;-_

"You are fat. Please get off the covers."

Mikan groaned and rolled onto her side, ignoring the way the bright lights seemed to pierce through her eyelids now that she was aware of them. There was a muffled sound of clothing and the creak of ungreased metal before the voice grew louder and more insistent. "You are fat. I require you get off the covers now."

Mikan rolled over until she was face down on the bed and groaned into the pillows. "Five more minutes," she whined, kicking at the covers when the voice repeated her request. "Just give me five more minutes…"

There was a deep groan of metal before she felt a cold squeeze against her leg. One minute, she was toasty with the softness of the covers and lying on the bed; the next, she was weightless, as if airborne.

Two seconds of confusion made her realize this was _not _a dream and she _was _going to slam right into the wall if she didn't do something. Mikan had half a mind to just screw it and wait for the impact. It was _far _too early in the morning and she was so tired_. _Staying up to talk to your best friend after years of separation tired a girl out.

Mikan refused, however, to give the smirking robot the benefit of seeing her smoosh herself against the wall like a pancake. So with much deliberation, she pumped the Flying Alice to her limbs and floated benignly in the air.

The robot's face dropped almost imperceptibly.

Pink, metallic arms crossed and the red lips of the object opened to relay, "Hotaru-sama left a message for Mikan Sakura."

Mikan popped her neck with a groan before turning tired eyes down to the robotic maid. She dropped smoothly onto the ground with just a hint of a patter before stretching her arms out and blinking blearily. Stifling a yawn, she muttered, "Alright, lay it on me."

"Mikan Sakura," the robot started, looking at her blankly in memory, "Get out of my room."

Mikan waited patiently for another ten seconds before she realized the robot was busy tidying up the bed and humming quietly. "What? That's _it_?"

The robot ignored her and Mikan, knowing when she wasn't wanted, grumbled under her breath before dragging her towel behind her and heading to her room. All the while, she whined in her head at how unfair it was Hotaru had decided to stay cooped up in her lab instead of wanting to accompany her to the carnival in Central Town.

Her best friend had said something along the lines of, "There is no way I'm going to be a witness to you and your bottomless stomach, as well as Hyuuga's stifling company. You're on your own." All of this was said in her usual, monotonous, if not a little scathing, tone.

Being the Imai's best friend really _was _a challenge, but thinking about the warmth and comfort beneath the dull, velvet eyes and the weighty sarcasm made Mikan feel just a bit more anxious to make up for lost time. Besides, Mikan knew Hotaru valued her as a friend deep down.

_Very deep down. _

Still a little tired, Mikan readied a shower and ran through a quick one, just enough to wash her hair and fully awake herself. Throwing on her uniform (it was too much of a hassle to bother about picking out an outfit for the carnival), Mikan pulled her hair up into a ponytail and casually jumped out the window.

She landed nimbly on one foot and a knee, a slow grin sliding onto her lips. The grin faltered, however, when she heard a sharp shriek from behind her.

Her head whipped around to scrutinize the girl she remembered to have the Cooking Alice. "Oh, Mikan!" She sounded relieved as she put a hand on top of her heart. "You startled me! I didn't expect you to fall from the sky!"

Briefly, Mikan noted it would do her well not to jump out of windows to save time. She smiled mischievously at the thought, "I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I could've fallen on top of you!"

Anna chuckled and looked around before settling brown eyes, once again, on her. "You're not with Hotaru today? I was actually going to go in and look for her again. I came to her room earlier and knocked on the door but her robot maid said she wasn't in and that there was someone sleeping in her room."

Mikan furrowed her brow. "You knocked on the door? Boy, I must've been out cold." At Anna's questioning stare, Mikan grinned. "Hotaru let me sleep over last night."

"Hotaru has _sleepovers_?" Anna asked incredulously. "Oh wow. Wait until Nonoko gets a load of this!" And before Mikan could make another comment, the redhead had turned on her heel and started away in a run. "See you later, Mikan!" she called over her shoulder. "And welcome again to our school!"

_Weird people, _Mikan thought amusedly. _Very weird indeed._

-;-

When Mikan slowed to a stop in front of the Central Town bus stop, the only person present was Ruka Nogi, the blond boy who'd been standing beside Natsume the first time she'd seen him. He was a tan, little thing and to be honest, he had such a feminine appeal about him, Mikan sometimes wondered if his looks could really be blamed on just "late puberty". He was a golden blond with sky, crystal-like blue eyes, a sharply defined nose and round cheeks.

Compared to Natsume, Ruka Nogi looked much like a spoiled child.

Mikan was a bit wary.

When she walked up to him, he stiffened and the smile on his lips was nervous. "Oh, hello, Sakura-san," he greeted guardedly. "I um… our first meeting was anything but conventional so…" he cleared his throat and shifted the bunny in his arms to free a hand. "I'm Ruka Nogi."

She extended her hand to shake his with a wan smile on her face. "I'm Mikan Sakura, but I suppose you already knew that."

He chuckled and retracted his arm before holding the bunny close. His eyes surprised her though. They weren't warm, like she thought they'd be. Instead, they were wary, guarded and reluctant. She wondered why. "I've actually been wondering how Natsume knows you. You seem to be very… relaxed around him," he commented, taking a seat on the stone bench. "He never deems it necessary to accompany a girl to the local carnival," Ruka gave a little laugh.

"Oh, the carnival? The only reason he agreed to that was because Aoi asked him while I was around and well, since I'm not allowed going anywhere without my partner, he couldn't say 'no'." Ruka looked at her curiously and Mikan gave him a grin. "So Natsume doesn't do dates, huh?" she questioned mischievously, mock-stroking her chin. "What a strange guy."

"You could say he was strange," Ruka chuckled again. "But you have yet to answer my question. How do you know Natsume? He seems… cozy with you."

Mikan felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end before a sly grin made its way onto her face. "Cozy? Wow, if Natsume's cozy with me, then I wonder what _I'm _like to other people! Natsume's as cozy as a frozen porcupine."

There was a giggle and a grunt before Ruka stiffened once more and practically jolted from the bench. His cheeks reddened a bit before he murmured, "Natsume…"

"Ruka."

Right when the words left his lips, the bus barreled to a stop and they all climbed in. Mikan was taken off guard when Aoi immediately latched onto her arm and giggled. She pushed her into one of the seats and plopped down right beside her. "Mikan-sama, you're Snow Fox right?"

Mikan blinked, looking around the rowdy bus to Natsume and Ruka, who were sitting in seats at the far back, surrounded by a group of girls that had seemingly come from nowhere. When her eyes settled back on Aoi's, Mikan grinned and smiled. "I don't remember you being this blunt. Then again, the last time I saw you, you weren't this happy either."

Aoi squealed and latched onto her arm, hugging it to her chest like she'd never let go. "I knew it was you! You haven't changed a bit, Mikan-sama."

"It's been what? Four months?" Mikan responded, allowing the girl to clutch her more securely. "I take it your brother knows then?"

Aoi rolled her eyes and glanced back at her brother. "I don't know. I told him, but he looked like he didn't believe me. If he knows it's you, he probably won't say something until he catches you alone."

Mikan snorted, "Yeah well, I doubt he's going to 'catch' me anywhere unless I want him to."

Aoi only giggled before going off on a tangent about Alice Academy and her friends.

_-;-_

The day passed like molasses.

Somewhere, Natsume had a feeling Satan was drawing out the day in order to spite him.

The atmosphere around them was starting to die down. Thank God. A migraine had started to form for quite some time, perhaps half an hour of being at this goddamned carnival but his sister and the _stupid _newcomer wanted to go on every single ride and throw up in every single trash can around the place.

He cursed these annual Central Town carnivals more than ever.

"Natsume," Ruka half-panted. "You should try a few rides, Natsume. They're actually not too bad this year."

Natsume looked at him with bland eyes, watching as the bright glow of adrenaline slowly faded from his face. "Or not…"

He rolled his eyes and pointed at the roller coaster. "You're just like Aoi sometimes," he grumbled irritably. "This is going to be the last one. Then we're going home."

Ruka grinned, lining up while he sat on one of the picnic tables set out in front of the concession stands.

"Ahoy, Mr. Scrooge," Mikan plopped down across from him. "How many smiles would you like to wipe off today? Perhaps you'd like a child's death or two?"

He looked up abruptly and the smile instantly vanished from her face. "Whoa, I was just kidding, Natsume. Why don't you lighten up a bit? It's a carnival but you look like you're having a miserable time."

He merely glared at her. "I'm miserable because I don't want to be here," he declared sullenly, nodding at the line-up. "Leave me alone."

Mikan didn't look impressed. Instead, she raised an eyebrow over one chocolate eye and sniffed, "You don't want to be here because people are having fun? Or you don't want to be here because you don't want other people seeing you have fun?"

He scrutinized her blandly, quiet. When he spoke, it was soft. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Then what am I talking about?" Mikan asked, tapping her foot impatiently. "Because I honestly don't get it. Why are you so uptight all the time? You always look like somebody just got away with kicking your puppy and that there is an enormous pole up your ass. Just…" Mikan heaved a sigh and frowned. "Okay, it's none of my business, I get that. But your sister was sulking the whole time because she felt guilty for asking you to come. I mean, she's your baby sister, Natsume. At least fake it."

Natsume couldn't help but think this girl talked too much. "You saved my sister."

She blinked for a moment, stunned or confused, he wasn't quite sure, before her expression became neutral and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "What about it? Are you about to try to kill me again? About to jump to conclusions and wrap your hands around my neck?" Her sneer was feral, but there was something about her sharp words that made him a little… appreciative.

He smirked slightly before looking back up at her. Instead of answering her queries, Natsume settled red eyes on her. "Why are you now the Silver Cheetah?" he asked lowly, after checking to see if anybody was listening.

Mikan looked unimpressed. "Your family really does have frankness in your blood, huh?" She didn't let him answer but replied, "I don't see why it would matter in the long run. Snow Fox was my past, Silver Cheetah is my present. Who knows what my future name will be?"

"If it's anything like mine, you won't worry about a different alias."

Natsume took one look at her shocked eyes before he turned and walked over to Ruka. It almost disgusted him, how bitter he had sounded and he cursed her and her naivety that caused him to say those words. If she hadn't looked so certain there would be a future for them, the Dangerous Ability Class, maybe he wouldn't have found it necessary to burst her bubble.

_-;-_

"It's just not _fair_! How does she do it? It's like she doesn't even have to try to be able to get his attention but here we are, dedicating time and effort to do what she did in seconds. It's so unfair!"

"She's not even that pretty."

"So she's in the Dangerous Ability class. Big deal," said Wakako. "What's _one _thing in common? I thought Natsume hated being in the Dangerous Ability class anyway."

"Her Alice is Controlling. It's actually pretty scary, if you think of what she could do."

"She couldn't possibly measure up to Natsume! She's only a Three Star!"

"You're a Two Star, Miyako."

Sumire sniffed and examined her nails. "Ladies, ladies," she drawled with a smirk, eyes never leaving her cuticles. "As much as it amuses me to hear you rant and rave about Mikan Sakura, I've been hearing enough about her on campus and I'm getting sick of it." Her last words came out in a leer.

"If you wish to talk about Mikan Sakura, do it outside of weekly meetings. I don't have the patience to listen to everything I already know." Sumire's green eyes lifted, mischievous and sly. "If anything, I'm interested in what you're going to _do _about it." Hopping off the desk she was sitting on, Sumire headed towards the door, this time, without Wakako in tow. "Well, I'm off. This week's meeting had no structure and nothing pressing to address other than the Mikan Sakura case. I trust you will deal with it as you've done in the past." Her hand was on her hip when she replied, "If you can't beat them, join them. Make sure she doesn't pose a threat to us." With a twist of her heel, Sumire was out the door, "I hope you all have something worthy of telling me next week. Ciao."

Sumire left with silence, but it wasn't until she was ten paces out the door that an eruption of voices followed in her wake.

-;-

Mikan's body twisted through the air before she had to somersault to dodge another flying Alice. She couldn't quite place what it was, because there were just so _many _of them, but she could tell she didn't want to get hit by it. Her feet barely made a touch on the ground before she was airborne once more, banking to the left to dodge another three attacks.

It had all happened so quickly, she hadn't even seen it coming. One moment, she noticed a girl beckoning to her; the next, she was parrying attacks and dodging for her life. These were her classmates. What was going on?

She'd be lying if she said they were posing a challenge though. These girls were not of the Dangerous Ability class. Heck, they were mainly using claws and Levitation. If she found any girls from the Dangerous Ability class against her, then there'd be _real _trouble. She hadn't gone one-on-one with a Dangerous Ability before, other than Persona, so she really didn't know how she'd fare against several.

"What's going on?" she asked finally, landing on the ground and focusing her gaze on the closest girl to her. With her Controlling Alice, she asked, "Why are you attacking me?"

The girl didn't struggle as the Alice consumed her. "You are taking our Natsume-sama. We cannot let that happen."

"Shut _up, _Meiko! The last thing we need is for her to tattle on us!"

Mikan released the girl and scoffed. "Is that what this is all about? You guys are afraid I want Natsume all to myself?" She looked around but the girls hidden weren't answering and the girls she could see refused to answer, opting to glare at her instead. Mikan felt a bitter laugh bubble up in her throat. "Admittedly, Natsume Hyuuga is handsome and interesting, but I don't intend to steal him. You can have him. I just want to be his friend."

A loud, raucous laugh followed her statement. Then a voice sneered, "Be his friend? Who do you think we are? If any girl gets close to Natsume-sama, it's because she wants _him_, plain and simple. We aren't as stupid as you think!"

Mikan rolled her eyes. "Do you guys even know me? I've only been here for what? Three days now? I'm not the type of girl that sees a cute guy and immediately goes after him. I've known Natsume for a little more than a year already."

There was a moment of intense silence and the sounds of whispers before someone asked reluctantly, "How do you know Natsume?"

"You don't know how many people have asked me that," Mikan replied with a snort. "I bugged him the first time I came to Alice Academy and well, I guess I left some kind of impression because he still gets annoyed whenever I'm around."

Mikan heard a chuckle from somewhere and couldn't help the smile that lit on her face. Well, maybe sharing her experiences with the Hyuuga was a good thing. Maybe these girls could be her friends after all. Well… if Natsume-obsessed friends appealed to her…

"That still doesn't explain the fact that you came here three days ago. How can you have known him for over a year?"

There was a chorus of muffled agreements before Mikan frowned. Before she could reply, the voice continued, "That isn't the point. The point is, you've been causing us trouble and as a member of the Natsume-Ruka fan club, I can't sit by and watch as you manipulate them with your Alice. Can you control their thoughts and emotions with your Alice?" The person asked, "Because the Natsume we know has _never_ let a girl talk to him the way you do and get away with it."

Mikan blinked, surprised. "Control him with my Alice? Oh wow, I can't believe you guys would think I'd sink to that kind of level. You can _have _him. I would never do something so low to get a boy's attention." Mikan resisted the urge to barf in her mouth a little bit. _I knew coming to this school was a bad idea…_

Some advanced and Mikan didn't know what to do. There were quite a number of them and she couldn't risk using her other Alices, in fear of giving away her true abilities. Knowing the Principal wanted her to keep those on the down low, Mikan really had no options. She refused to fight these girls that were so completely misunderstood, nor did she want to just sit back and watch them beat the hell out of her.

So she dodged.

-;-

Ruka awoke to a loud rustle of trees. He'd been lying on the slight crest of grass by the Northern Forest with Usagi when there was a groan and a distinct sound of paper and mud. Blue eyes blinked blearily before Ruka propped himself up with his elbow and looked around. The dirt road was but a few meters away and the foliage of the Northern Forest shaded his napping spot.

He'd picked up some strange habits from his best friend, that much was for certain.

Thinking nothing of the noise, Ruka readied himself back to his back when Usagi wriggled between his legs and hopped towards the Northern Forest.

_Come back, Usagi_, Ruka called.

The Northern Forest was rather strange and rumors circulated around Alice Academy about how dangerous it was, day and night.

The bunny paid no heed and continued on its way. Ruka, with a groan, followed, urging in his mind for the bunny to come back to him. The forest gave him the creeps. He'd feel better if Natsume was there.

He noticed Usagi had stopped but when he realized why, Ruka's heart had almost stopped with it. He could feel the blood draining from his face as he took in the battered form of the new girl, Mikan Sakura.

She had tiny cuts and scrapes on her face, leaves in her hair and dirt all over her skin and uniform. He assumed she'd been running and tripping through the forest. He knelt down with nerves in his stomach as he put a hand to her cheek. "Sakura-san," he slapped her lightly on the cheek. She didn't revive. He took her by the shoulders and shook her once more. "Sakura-san!"

Without quite knowing what else to do, Ruka sent Usagi off to look for Natsume.

He touched Mikan's cheek gently. _What on Earth made you this way, Mikan Sakura?_

* * *

_My Hopeless Romantic_


	8. Slow Admirations and Two Ultimatums

**Disclaimer: **I do not own something Tachibana Higuchi owns. Characters and setting are his. The rest is mine. :)

* * *

**Chapter 8:** _Slow Admirations and Two Ultimatums_

_-;-_

Mikan woke to find herself in hell, or something undoubtedly close to it. Lights were searing into her eyes, her ears were ringing and her body was on fire. With a groan, she turned her face into her pillows and coughed.

Her throat felt like sandpaper and her lips stung like she had swum through brine.

_What the heck happened? _

She could distinctly remember hiding from her attackers and the quick pity that had welled up in her stomach when she'd realized just how completely misunderstood those girls were. They thought she wanted Natsume for herself?

_As if. _

She knew very little of Natsume, sure, but Mikan doubted severely that his obnoxious words could be a turn on for these girls. Was there something _that_ enchanting about Natsume Hyuuga? He was handsome, yes. As for anything else Natsume had going for him, Mikan had no idea. She knew he looked as though he was emotionally constipated though.

She snorted into the pillow before turning over and groaning at the light once more. "The lights," she rasped dramatically, feeling like a complete moron, "—the lights are going to kill me. Turn them off. Turn them…"

She really had to stop pretending to be a vampire.

She relaxed her body and not a second later, an amused, if not slightly critical voice drawled, "Too bad you can't turn off the sun, idiot."

Startled, Mikan shaded her eyes and adjusted on the bed so that she was propped up on her elbows. Her eyes quickly cleared and soon, she was looking at the slumped form of Natsume Hyuuga. He wasn't looking at her, but instead at the open manga in his hands. What Mikan _did _notice, however, was the irritation lining every curve of his body.

_What was he doing here?_

"Natsume…?" she started, surprised. She blinked several times before leaning up against the pillows, suddenly tired once again. "What are you doing here? Where…" She paused and looked around the room with new eyes. "What are we doing in the hospital?" She seemed to just notice her hospital gown before wide brown eyes met neutral red ones. "Why am _I _in the hospital? I _hate _the hospital!"

Natsume seemed to be scrutinizing her curiously. Mikan had to look away from his intense gaze before he muttered softly, "Hate it or not, you're in the hospital because you're hurt. I should know. I was the one who had to carry your whale-like body from the Northern Forest to here."

Mikan's eyes flared with life before she pouted irritably. "Nobody asked you to do that, Natsume," she muttered snootily. "And I'd like to point out that I'm rather small compared to your average fifteen year old and that whatever weight you suffered, it was merely from intense, _muscle_."

Natsume caught the snort in his throat. "Right. Muscle. Of course."

"Your sarcasm is so charming," Mikan deadpanned. "There's no company like yours. In fact, seeing you here is the most pleasant thing I could've woken up to. Which begs the question, why are you here?" Natsume opened his mouth to say something sarcastic before Mikan waved him off. "Forget that, you've already answered that. Let me rephrase, why are you _still _here. You could have easily dropped me off and left me at the hospital. But here you are, manga in hand and lounging on my sofa." She dropped her voice into a low drawl, light and teasing. "Tell me, Mr. Hyuuga. What are your motives?"

Natsume looked at her carefully before turning back to his manga. "You're not funny," he said bluntly.

"Then answer the question before I embarrass you."

Natsume scoffed before flipping the page of his manga. "Embarrass me? Why would you embarrassing yourself embarrass me?"

Mikan laughed, silvery and musical. "Trust me. When I try to be embarrassing, _everyone _gets embarrassed. Don't make me prove it."

Something about the way she made fun of herself readily enough led him to believe she was ready and willing to perform. He merely shook his head and smirked in her direction when a large growl emanated from her stomach. The girl even had the decency to blush.

"Ruka left to get some food," Natsume muttered offhandedly, turning back to his manga. "Just sit there and wait like a good little girl and maybe I'll give you my share."

"I am _not _fat!" Mikan pressed, looking for something to throw at him. The only items available were the vase of flowers by her bed and a cup of water. Something told her it wouldn't be wise to throw either.

Instead, Mikan opted to glare at him from under her eyelashes, watching as his aura lifted from the dark cloud of irritation from earlier, into something amiable, if a little playful. His profile was rather handsome too, not that she'd ever be willing to say that alou—

The door opened quietly before Ruka's head popped in. He took one quick look at the bed, then threw the door open with a wide grin on his face. "You're awake!"

"Calm down, Ruka," Natsume muttered lowly, sending his friend a look. Ruka barely paid any mind before he plopped a bag in Natsume's lap and handed one of the two bags in his hand to her. "Here, this is for you." Ruka took a seat next to her bed. "I bought it in case you woke up later, but since you're awake now, you can eat it while it's still warm."

Mikan blinked at the bag before she smiled. _He'd gone out of his way to buy her food! What a sweet guy. _"Thank you, Nogi-kun! This is one of the nicest things anybody could have ever thought to get me!"

Ruka blinked at her, somewhat confused before Natsume piped in, "She's like a guy. She thinks through her stomach. Watch out, Ruka. She might fall in love with you."

From the corner of her eyes, Mikan saw Ruka flinch, then blush. Feeling slightly protective, she growled at Natsume and crossed her arms, unimpressed. "You know what? You are such a jerk. Leave Nogi out of this, you bully!" Turning to look at Ruka, whose cheeks were quickly turning a glaring red, Mikan offered, "I'm sorry he's being such a moron, Nogi-kun. Don't mind him. He's just socially constipated."

Natsume made a sound from the back of his throat before he looked into the bag and pulled out a burger. Ah, Ruka knew him well.

From overhead, he heard Mikan exclaim, "What is _this_? A salad, Nogi? How is a girl supposed to get better by eating a salad?"

Ruka sputtered and Natsume was just about to tell her to stop being a baby and be grateful when the door opened once more and Imai Subaru walked in. He blinked at her before bringing the clipboard from under his arm and writing something down. "Well, it looks like you're back to your old self again." He looked at Ruka and back to Mikan's salad. "It was a good thing you went and got her that, Nogi-san. She should really start to look into her health."

"And weight," Natsume piped in smoothly, biting into his burger.

Ruka merely nodded to Subaru and told Mikan to get better. "I was on my way here when Imai caught me off guard and—"

"Ah," Natsume answered, knowing full well what had probably happened. "Go ahead, Ruka. I'm not staying long anyway."

"Hey!" Mikan exclaimed, offended. "I thought you were going to stay with me until I got let out!"

"Which won't be long," Subaru commented. "Just let me give you one last check up before you're to be discharged. Your body is unusually quick with injuries."

Mikan grumbled something before holding out her arm for him to take her blood pressure. She didn't really notice the examination process, since she was either busy eyeing Natsume's burger or making faces at him when he wasn't looking. After a moment, Natsume drawled, "Oi. If you could stop looking at me for a second, the doc has been repeating the same question about four times."

Mikan started. "Huh? I'm sorry, Subaru-nii!"

"I see you're obviously doing well," Subaru murmured sarcastically, "So if you'd just sit still for a moment, I'll be done in a second and you can get back to your lover's quarrel." He jotted a few more notes down on his clipboard before snapping his pen and pointing at Mikan. "Two things before I go. One, Yukihira-sama wants you to use your Alices as little as possible. Two, Persona wants you training again tonight, but the Principal is calling it off. Get some room-rest. That's a doctor's orders. I've given you a serum that'll make your body as good as new. You may feel alright now, but your muscles are still extremely tired and the last time I checked, your cells were looking a little worse than the norm. If you use your Alice in the next twenty-four hours, though, it'll be all for naught, so _don't._"

Mikan sighed melodramatically and nodded. "Understood."

Natsume, who had his eyes locked on his magazine, darted a look at the brunette. He locked eyes with her and gave her a cold glare that Mikan didn't quite understand until Subaru Imai left the room and he drawled coolly, "Alices?"

She stiffened and pasted a faux-curious expression on her face. "Excuse you?"

"He said you had Alices," Natsume said bluntly. "Plural. Care to explain?"

"I only have one Alice, Natsume," she rolled her eyes. She seemed to look at her naked wrist and exclaimed, "Well thanks a bunch for visiting but since I'm discharged, I'm outtie. Got so many plans and so little time. Goodbye!"

She was out of the door in a second.

-;-

Mikan couldn't hope to dodge him for long.

Doctors and nurses alike were stopping her in the hallway every few minutes, seconds even. The High School Principal frequently got her to get a check up at the hospital, almost every week ever since she started training with Persona. She wondered why, since she never gave any indication of being hurt, but whatever the High School Principal wanted, he got. She never really minded, but at the moment, she really didn't have the time to share pleasantries with the doctors and nurses who recognized her.

The hair on the back of her neck was telling her to get out of the hospital and get out of there _fast. _

Natsume Hyuuga was on the prowl.

It wouldn't take him long to catch up to her. And he would. The look on his face was one of determination.

She didn't want to admit it, but when she looked at his face the moment he _glared _at her, her heart jammed itself in her throat.

If only Subaru-nii hadn't given her away!

Now, she really didn't know what to do.

She forced another smile to her lips when another nurse bade her good evening but it quickly slipped away when she slinked down the stairwells, taking two at a time.

Ugh, if only she could use her Alices but that stupid _serum! _Subaru-nii explicitly told her not to use her Alices or the serum wouldn't work and the last thing she wanted him to do was use the darker form of his Alice… And Persona would definitely kill her if Natsume found out she had several Alices.

With a silent squeak, Mikan pivoted on her toes and retraced her way back to the reception area. Ignoring the eyes of what looked to a be a four year old boy, she tiptoed her way to the bookcase and shoved herself in a crouch behind the couch.

The scent of pine came to her nose and she realized quickly after that she didn't have her shoes on and she was still wearing the hospital gown.

_God, why? What did I do to deserve this?_

"How long are you going to hide behind there for?"

Mikan couldn't help it.

She screamed.

Then jumped up from behind the chair and pointed a finger into his face, "Are you even HUMAN? How did you find me?!"

She watched Natsume blink languidly with one casual hand in his pockets. One of his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hairline when he said, "The better question is why you have such a guilty look on your face." His eyes flashed before he stepped closer to corner her into the couch and muttered, "You're a Multi-Alice user."

She opened her mouth to argue with him when Hotaru's distinctive voice interrupted.

"What are you two doing?"

Natsume froze for one second before his eyes became resigned and he sighed. "Imai," he turned around. "Why are you here?"

There was a flash of bright light.

Mikan sputtered.

"Hotaru, what are you—"

Another two shots were taken before Natsume all but growled, "Imai, _stop._"

Vaguely, Mikan registered the sound of Ruka laughing. "What were you guys doing back there? You looked awfully comfortable."

"Ruka."

Immediately Ruka's laughter ceased.

Natsume turned a touch to give her the evil eye. "Don't think I'm done with you," he said lowly, but not low enough for Hotaru and Ruka to miss. Mikan watched as the both of them exchanged glances before she chuckled nervously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

He merely raised an eyebrow before looking at the two arrivals. "You're interrupting something," he drawled coolly, grabbing Mikan by the wrist. "We'll take this back to her room."

Mikan blinked as he led her away.

Hotaru merely raised an eyebrow. "Hyuuga, I hope you remember what we discussed," Hotaru said smoothly.

Natsume barely turned. "I… remember."

Mikan watched as Hotaru nodded. "Come along, Nogi," she said, "—I'll develop these pictures while you buy me dinner." Then she left.

Left!

Just like that!

Mikan gaped at their backs before Natsume pulled roughly at her arm towards the stairs to her room. Her eyes flashed, "What are you _doing_?! Let go of me! I'm an invalid!"

Natsume merely rolled his eyes. "Hardly. You fled not fifteen minutes ago without shoes and without… clothes."

She glared at him when he shoved her none too gently back into her room. The bed was made and the room didn't look like she had just been lying there fifteen minutes ago. Mikan huffed and looked away from him, anywhere was fine but him. She knew that if he seriously looked into her eyes and asked her a question, her resolve would collapse in seconds.

She'd always been such a horrible liar.

She huffed and sat back on the bed, crossing her legs and turning towards the wall in order to avoid Natsume's probing stare. She could hear a distinct shuffle of his clothes and the almost silent footsteps he made before his voice rang clear off the walls of the room, "I won't ask you again. What sort of Alices do you have? I know you're Snow Fox. I know you're in the Dangerous Ability class and I know you're a Multi-Alice. The question is, why didn't Persona say so when you… performed for us."

Mikan merely crossed her arms and harrumphed.

Did he honestly think that she'd give him answers because he _demanded _them? Did he honestly think he could intimidate her? She was a Dangerous Ability type student for goodness sakes! She was _apprenticed _by Persona! She would _not _be so easily swayed.

"You know," she started lightly, turning her head just a bit to watch him, "—I'm just like you. I only have one Alice, _one. _Just because Subaru Imai-senpai slips an extra letter on a word, doesn't mean you have to read so much into it. It was just a mistake."

The look he gave her made an invisible shiver run down her spine. His eyes were dark, hard chips of red and it seemed like his whole body was radiating angry spikes of intense heat. His eyebrows were drawn into a V and in all honesty, Mikan felt very concerned about her health.

"Do I look stupid to you?" he said in a low voice. He took one step closer and stopped when they were about two meters apart.

Mikan pressed her hands deeper into the bed.

"Imai's don't make mistakes like that. He wasn't the second representative of the school for no reason. If Imai says something, he picks his words very carefully and doesn't add anything in that isn't necessary." Natsume looked at her with narrowed eyes and crossed his arms. "If Subaru Imai does or says anything, it's with a purpose and he obviously didn't want you to use your Alice_s _on a stupid technicality."

He was right, obviously, but there was something stilling her tongue. Call it pride or her damnable stubbornness, but Mikan would _not _lose that easily. She refused. So what if he seemed to know Subaru-senpai? So what if he seemed to grasp the fact that he never messed up? She had an agreement to uphold and she wasn't going to let this… this stupid _boy _ruin her chances of going to school with Hotaru and be _normal _for once.

Or… as normal as one _could _be in a school like Alice Academy.

"I know you know I'm right," Natsume drawled coolly, his stance unrelenting. "Now tell me, _Silver Cheetah, _just what is it that Persona's using you for? Multi-Alices are _known _within the school and if you're thinking about not telling me, the whole school will know about you."

He raised an eyebrow. His expression was almost cruel. "Don't think this piece of information won't travel fast."

"You know, your image is really dishonest. I mean, here you are with your scowl and dark, mysterious boy persona. You even have this '_do I look like I care about you and what you need? You're not getting anything from me, I'm way too cool' _kind of aura about you and then there's this." Mikan shook her head and looked up at the ceiling with a wry smile on her face. "Who would've thought _the _Natsume Hyuuga, mysterious and laconic, would be such a _busybody_?" She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow to counter the one he'd raised earlier. "What, are you going to tell all of your girlfriends about some faulty bit of information you're not too certain about?"

"What makes you think I'm not certain?"

Mikan's lips quirked up into a quick smile. "Because, dear Black Cat… because you know as well as I do that Persona has a weapon under his belt that does funny things with one's memory."

Natsume's eyes widened a fraction and the look he gave her was almost comical. She didn't like using the Memory card but with Natsume snooping around and already having suspicions about her, it was only her safest bet to erase this particular thread of his memory. Everything about her. It was kind of a shame, though, she mused. She'd really liked arguing back and forth with him about nonsensical things.

The only thing that worried her was—

"The Memory Alice is faulty," Natsume's voice was steely, "—an inexperienced Alice could erase an entire memory instead of just one conversation. I may not know who exactly you are, but there is one thing I'm certain about."

"Really. And what might that be?" Mikan's tone held a sharp edge of amusement.

"You're not a full-fledged Dangerous Ability type," Natsume answered immediately. "You're not cruel."

She laughed, slightly mocking. "Full fledged or not, I'm sure you know that we, as the Dangerous Ability class, do what we have to do. We take one for the team and we don't hold back. I _will _fulfill my duties and your… sentimental little words," she almost spat them out, "—really aren't enough to stop me."

"Does it sound like I'm trying to stop you?"

"It sounds like you're going to wet yourself if you lose all of your memories, so yes."

Natsume scrutinized her through neutral red eyes and couldn't completely grasp the situation. She was… she was _threatening _him when he'd had the upper hand. The way he'd planned it, things shouldn't have gone this way, not at all. He was supposed to get in and get out without anybody getting hurt but here he was, the one with the odds stacked against him.

This was _not _looking good.

To think, a puny looking girl like her, so deceitfully small and pale—and for God's sake, she was in a hospital gown with her legs crossed—to think such an innocent looking person could be so dishonest.

Natsume shook his head. "It's funny," he started, eyes taking in the bandages on her face and the tumble of her brown hair, "—to think you'd go on and on about _my _image being deceitful when _you're _the epitome of a lie." He could've sworn he saw a flash of panic within her eyes before they clouded over and he was looking at her expression of disinterest. "You are the complete opposite of who you were a year ago," he continued. "You were honest and innocent and childish then. Who knows, you might've been a liar then too, but I don't doubt that even _you _know you've changed who you were."

Before she could have an appropriate reaction to his words, Natsume turned towards the door and grabbed hold of the doorknob. "Do what you want. If you think being Persona's dog is the right way to go, then go ahead, find your Memory Alice and erase my thoughts. I think you know as well as I do that I won't be the only one losing something. We'll both be losing who we are."

* * *

:) MHR


	9. Secret Understandings & Mission Requests

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to Tachibana Higuchi. The rest is mine. :) Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 9:** _Secret Understandings and Mission Requests  
_

_-;-_

For the first time since she met him, Mikan wanted to cause Natsume Hyuuga severe bodily harm. It used to be just a kick in the shins or a punch in the arm kind of urge, but now she felt like _ripping his head off. _She didn't know how else to cope with the fact that her heart felt like it was being gripped by the Hulk.

She had obligations to the school, to the Dangerous Ability team. If anybody could understand that, it was Natsume. So why was he being such a snot about her need for secrecy? It wasn't like she was choosing to keep this a secret, but it was a stipulation made clear by Yukihira-sama that the fewer people who knew about her Alices, the less trouble it would cause.

There were Multi-Alices all over the school, Mikan understood, but she was a special case. Her Alice was rare and several teachers had made it clear that it was for her own safety that her rarer Alices were kept under wraps. Mikan learnt from several people the stories of Alice Academy and she wasn't too excited to hear that the last Nullification Alice was killed mysteriously a decade and a half ago and the Stealing Alice was killed just recently.

If only Subaru-nii had stilled his mouth at just _that _moment, she wouldn't be going through all of this trouble. Then again, he probably didn't know too much about the goings-on of the school. He was just a doctor here after all.

With a roll of her eyes, she threw her regular clothes back on and pulled on her shoes before leaving her hospital room. This time, when the hospital staff stopped to chat, she didn't try to run off. She needed time to think and figure out just what to do about Natsume. Yukihira-sama told her it wasn't a big deal if she befriended Natsume and Aoi as long as they didn't blow her cover. Natsume _knew _she was Snow Fox/Silver Cheetah. He didn't need to know about her Alices.

That was none of his business.

The walk back to her room was a long one and she wished she could teleport back to her room. Walking was making it too slow and she didn't have the energy to run. If she could run, at least she would be able to take her mind off of the words Natsume threw at her. The guilt was eating her up inside, but didn't he understand that she had duties as a Dangerous ability student too? As a protector of these students? His implications of her selfishness made her want to scream.

Was it the disappointment in his voice? Or was it the idea that he had so little faith in her? Mikan didn't know, but both prospects made her stomach want to split apart and dump all of her organs on the floor.

_I need to set things straight with Natsume._

The thought almost made her stop in her tracks, but she shook her head and continued on. It was true though. She had to fix things. For some reason, leaving things on such an awful note didn't sit well with her. It was stupid, how bizarre she was acting. Natsume didn't mean anything to her. He wasn't supposed to anyway. She'd met him a total of perhaps five times and already she felt obligated to make sure he didn't take things the wrong way.

Things would have been so much easier if Subaru-nii had just stopped himself from adding that _one _letter to his sentence. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so conflicted about herself and her Alices. If anything, without her Alices, she felt like some cheap piece of scrap, so naked and vulnerable. She felt… _normal_. For a long time, Mikan remembered hoping so badly to be a normal girl like before, but without them, she felt like some large part of her was missing. Was she depending too much on her Alice?

Feeling winded, Mikan stopped at the base of a nearby tree and slouched into a sitting position. She still felt so weak; it was a feeling she wasn't used to and one she most definitely did not like. If Persona could see her now, he would probably never let her live it down.

The thought made her still when she felt the hair on her arms start to rise. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and let out a quiet breath when she saw Hotaru approaching with a dark frown on her face. _Oh Hotaru…_ Brightly, she waved and smiled, only slightly curious as to why Hotaru looked to be in such a terrible mood. She hadn't done anything to make her mad, had she?

"You're so reckless," Hotaru spat when she stopped in front of her. "Why is it that you can't stop yourself from getting into these kinds of situations?"

Mikan frowned. "What do you mean, Hotaru?"

Grabbing her arm roughly, Hotaru glared pointedly at the flimsy limb. "My brother treated you. You should know better than to think you could hide something like this from me." She dropped her arm like it was on fire before her eyes scrutinized her intensely. "You're the talk of class 2B. Koko says the fanclub attacked you and I've dealt with them accordingly after Nogi confirmed reports. I hope you're happy. I've lost respect from the teachers and I won't be able to see mom anytime soon."

Mikan blinked, feeling a dark heat press against the base of her throat. "Hotaru," she said slowly, "You protected me?"

"The only one who has the right to hurt you is me," she returned monotonously, her arms left listlessly at her sides. "Can you walk?"

She felt a smile pull at her lips when Hotaru offered her a hand up. "Yeah, I can walk."

Before she knew it, Hotaru had taken out a small remote and a scooter in the shape of a duck was flying their way. Mikan's jaw dropped before she looked at her best friend in surprise. "Hotaru, I said I could walk!" Mikan protested anxiously as Hotaru took out a helmet and strapped it on.

The velvet-eyed girl took out the spare and tossed it to her. "Well I can't."

-;-

"Can we talk?"

The boy didn't even flinch when she appeared, standing, right behind him the day after the incident with the question on her lips on the rooftop of the boy's dormitory. The lack of reaction irked her to no end, but when she thought about it, Mikan wasn't very surprised. Natsume was a Dangerous Ability student, a top rank shadow to boot. Of course he could feel her coming from a mile away.

"What do you want?" he drawled without looking back. Instead his hands were behind his head as he lay on the hard tiles of the roof, eyes trained on the stars.

Mikan fiddled with the base of her shirt as a blush stole across her cheeks. She hated apologizing, but it had to be done. The silence was killing her. "I'm sorry," she said finally, eyes moving to settle on his face. "For yesterday."

He opened his eyes at that. His hair was windswept and his eyes were jaded and neutral. She felt like she was staring at a robot with no feeling. She searched his face for a reaction but he didn't move. He didn't show any signs of having heard her. Then, with slow, deliberate ease, he nodded.

_Nodded. _

Then turned his gaze back to the stars.

Mikan merely stared at him for three beats before she spluttered indignantly. "That's it? I apologize and you just _nod _at me? What _is _that? Who even reacts like that to apologies? You're supposed to say it back to me!"

He closed his eyes lazily. "If I apologized, I wouldn't have meant it. I still think I have the right to know." He raised an eyebrow with his eyes closed. "What were you expecting me to do? Whether you're sorry or not, it doesn't excuse the fact that you want to erase my memory."

The cold nonchalance in which he delivered those words made her flinch and as if knowing so, Natsume opened his eyes once more and scrutinized her darkly. She felt naked under his stare. "It's not my fault you threatened me because I was unwilling to sate your curiosity," she spat.

"Back to square one," Natsume rolled his eyes before he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "I don't see what the big deal is. I know you have some kind of secret identity. I asked around and found out Multi-Alices like you need to do years of training. You were training that year between the first and second time we met. I know you have multiple alices. You didn't hide your tracks so well. What _I _want to know is why the Academy doesn't want anybody else to know about your other alices."

"Could you lower your voice," Mikan hissed before the words sunk into her head. She blinked incredulously before she took a step toward the sitting boy. "You figured all of that out? In a day?"

"They call me the genius of the middle school branch," Natsume riposted easily, eyes darting to meet hers. "The clues were obvious. If I could figure it out, I'm sure many could come to the same conclusions. The only thing is, I'm the only one that knows you've been away for a year. I'm the only one that could possibly figure it out. Unless you met up with somebody else after you screamed bloody murder a year and a half ago."

Mikan swallowed and felt her knees buckle. She sunk down beside him on the roof. "You can't tell anyone," she said softly. She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn't stop. "You're in the Dangerous Ability class. You know the threat that's outside of these walls. In order to keep the AAO off of my back, and in order to give the Academy an advantage, they've decided to keep my abilities a secret. I would have told you, Natsume, if I could have. But the High School Principal and Persona have made it clear I have to keep these Alices to myself. You won't tell anybody, will you?"

He was watching her from the corner of his eyes as she told him this. She was such a child in the way she spoke, in the helpless vulnerability she let colour her tone. At the back of his mind, even though he was aware she could undoubtedly take care of herself, he wondered how many people could take advantage of this strange childlike nature of hers.

The raw sincerity in her voice made him swallow until her eyes met his in a plea. He turned his eyes to the stars and let out a tight breath. "I'm not a gossip," he said finally.

She paused for a beat before the hope in her voice became apparent. "Natsume…?"

"I won't tell anyone," he reiterated sharply when he felt her lean toward him. "I don't know how I'll be able to keep it a secret from Koko though. He's always reading everybody's minds."

In her excitement, she leaned over and latched onto his arm with a giggle. "Thanks Natsume! You don't have to worry about that. I'm sure Hotaru has something!" She let go of his arm quickly and cleared her throat. "Sorry. I just…didn't think you'd be so agreeable."

"I'm not agreeable."

"But you're not a cold-hearted jerk. Not to me, anyways," Mikan protested lightly, leaning back on her elbows. "Seriously…thank you, Natsume."

Natsume felt a dark voice in his head repeat her words in his mind and it was enough to cause a flare of anger to rise in his stomach. "Not really. It just isn't my story to tell. I'm in the Dangerous ability class, but that doesn't mean I'm heartless," he said coolly. "You should know that better than anybody."

Mikan turned slightly to look at him. "That's true. I never said you were heartless but…" she blew her bangs away from her face and eyed him carefully, "You're always either saying something to bring down the mood or you're _in _a terrible mood. You don't smile very often. You don't participate in conversation unless you're trying to pump somebody for information or you're making fun of them. You just…overall give off a very unpleasant aura."

Natsume shot her a dark look. "Gee, how touching."

"Oh, I forgot about the sarcasm. It seems like a second language to you."

"I hope you know your description works perfectly with Imai's character," Natsume deadpanned shortly, propping his elbows on his knees and looking out over the darkened school grounds. "Just because I sound like a heartless person concerning you, that doesn't mean that's how I really am."

He could _feel _her smile through the space between them. "Are you telling me you've got a soft side, Natsume?" she cooed condescendingly, before snorting a laugh in her amusement. "And Hotaru isn't _always _in a bad mood. She smiles sometimes and she talks to me a lot!"

"She also blackmails people, hits them with her inventions and has the emotional range of a sock."

He turned to see her gaping at him like a fish. "Take that back!"

"Never," he smirked. "You're only offended because it's true."

"Hotaru is a _very _emotional person!"

"Don't let her hear you saying that. She might give you hell and back," Natsume said wryly, turning his eyes up to the sky. "Why are you here again? Little girls like you should be sleeping instead of trying to make me deaf in one ear."

She gave him the stink eye. "Move over on my other side, Hyuuga, so that I can even it out," she hissed scathingly, jutting her chin out darkly. "Besides, I had to make sure we straightened out our argument or I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. If it went any further, you'd probably hold a grudge against me for the rest of my life and I wouldn't be able to _stand_ that."

"It really shouldn't bother you so much," Natsume said calmly, lighting up a small flame in his hand to make it dance into the distance. He lost sleep over the incident too, but only because he was trying to work out the kinks of her identity in his head. "Idiots like you need all of the sleep they can get. It'll save some other soul from the responsibility of listening to you moan and whine about useless things."

"Well I'm _sorry _I don't like to fight with everybody," Mikan sniffed. "Besides, you weren't saying that yesterday when you threatened me to talk to you."

Natsume looked at her incredulously and caught the impish grin on her face. He rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot." She only smiled, unaffected, before a yawn stretched her lips. Natsume turned away from her. "Well, you've cleared up the situation. Now you can go away."

"It was nice talking to you, too, Natsume," Mikan said dryly, draping her arms over her knees. "You're _such _a good conversationalist. I mean, the things you say are just _riveting_. I really just _love _it when you give me the time of day. You're _so _smart—"

"You're learning the sarcasm trade," Natsume commented wryly, turning his head to look at her bathed in moonlight. He scowled. "I get it. We're good. I won't say anything." He lifted his eyes heavenward. "Goodnight. Go away."

Mikan snorted before she stood up and stretched her hands over her head. "You're so charming, Natsume," she raised a brow in amusement. She turned and started away after waving a hand in the air in departure. "Goodnight!"

In a flash, she was gone.

-;-

The rhythmic sounds of her feet marking the ground were muffled by easy strides and patterned breaths.

Two days after the incident with the notorious Natsume-Ruka fanclub and her stamina felt like it had taken a hit. Did missing two runs really make her feel so out of shape? She never thought she would say it, but she would have preferred Persona's wicked training rather than have to feel the weight of lethargy in her arms and legs after being confined to the limitations of being a normal person.

Her heart was pounding in her ribs and the strain in her lungs was almost a welcome feeling in the cool morning mist on the Academy grounds. It felt so good to continue her morning regime which was probably why she didn't feel the sinking dread in her stomach when she felt Persona's eyes watching her from a minute ago. She kept up her pace, never speeding up or slowing down to give him the indication that she had felt him. The last time she sought him out when he was watching, he was unimpressed with her lack of restraint. Now she was just going to ignore him.

When another ten minutes flew by, Persona finally dropped down a few meters ahead of her and watched as she breezed past him.

"Stop."

The command made her dig in her heels, but she didn't turn around.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" Persona said with an edge to his voice. It was low and sharp with the right hint of menace. Mikan turned around to see him watching her with black slitted eyes. "You've been resting too long. You're out of shape. Your pace is slow. Your form is awkward and it just shows how lax you've become without my constant supervision."

Mikan fixed her mouth into a scowl. "I didn't expect to be ambushed by a bunch of Academy fangirls that were being presumptuous."

Persona's eyes glinted maliciously. "You're supposed to be able to expect the unexpected by now, Silver Cheetah. Are you telling me you couldn't defend yourself against a handful of girls who have useless alices? If you can't defend yourself against a flying alice, the Academy is doomed."

"I was told to keep my other alices a secret. How was I expected to escape without displaying my nullification and the use of my different stones?" Mikan snapped lowly, wiping the sweat from her brow at the dark gaze on her teacher's face. "I can't do both without calling suspicion to myself."

"You certainly can," Persona folded his arms over his chest. "You aren't trying hard enough. It's apparent school life has robbed you of the little common sense you acquired from my training. I will let Principal-sama know accordingly."

Mikan rolled her eyes and only barely managed to avoid the hand reaching for her throat. His nails scratched her throat and she felt a cold feeling grip her windpipe before the Nullification in her body dispelled his Alice. A teardrop shaped black stone fell to the ground.

Persona smirked. "That was for your insolence."

Mikan clenched her jaw. "What are you here for exactly?"

"You've got a mission tonight," Persona said without preamble, letting his long fingernails tap his upper arms. "The student I assigned for the job was injured in some way and is no longer capable of taking the assignment. Your carelessness and lack of training have pushed me to choose you to take his place. Your partner is the Black Cat. Ask him to brief you before tonight."

Mikan frowned at the abruptness of the assignment, but knew better than to do more than nod. "Is that all?" she said impatiently, rolling her ankles. "You're disrupting my run."

"So disrespectful," Persona sniffed, unoffended, before he disappeared in the morning mist.

Mikan rolled her eyes when he was gone and began walking before she broke out into her jog once more. Persona really had some nerve scratching at her throat like that. She was sure that if she mentioned his methods to the Principal or Narumi, he would be reprimanded the way he ought to be, but the look of triumph at her weakness on his face was more than she could bear from him.

She swallowed her anger and pushed herself harder when she remembered his words about her decrease in pace and form. The concentration put in her breathing made her only vaguely wary of a group of students up ahead. She didn't think anything of it. By now it would be about 7:30am which was a perfectly acceptable time to be getting ready for school. Surely she wasn't the only early riser at the Academy. It wasn't until she heard the jeering did she flick her head in the direction of the noise.

"Where are you going, little boy?"

"Are you looking for your _mama_, little boy?"

The words made a swell of indignation swell in Mikan's stomach and she pumped her legs quickly to catch the scene unfolding in front of her. One little boy about seven or eight years old was surrounded by four older boys. Vaguely, Mikan thought the five of them looked familiar before the taunting continued.

"Oh ohhh, are you going to _cry_? Look fellas, he's going to _cry_. How precious."

"Boys like you shouldn't be wandering around the school alone."

The little boy looked unperturbed. "I'll say it one last time: move."

"He's threatening us, Kanou, what should we do?" chuckled a low voice.

Mikan made to step forward but was stopped by a stunned yelp and she watched with fascination as a series of dark spirits erupted from the little boy's body. It was funny, seeing the four older boys ducking and running. From over the hollers, she heard, "_That's Youichi! The demon from the DA class!_"

When the boy was alone, he tucked his hands into his pockets and began walking away.

From someplace behind her, there was a low chuckle. "That's Youichi for you. He acts just like the other kid."

Mikan turned around and came face-to-face with an older boy with dark blue hair peeking out from underneath a worn tuque and a tattoo of a star under his eye, on his cheek. She smiled and laughed with him. "I thought I was going to have to save him," she said honestly as they watched the retreating figure. "He did well against four older boys."

"Those guys are always picking on smaller kids," he said easily. "Cowards that they are. My name's Tsubasa Andou from the Special Ability class."

"My name's Mikan Sakura," Mikan said with a grin. "From the Dangerous Ability class."

Blue eyebrows raised in surprise before he looked at her curiously. "You're the newbie Tono mentioned, are you?" At her shrug, he eyed her cautiously. "You really look too sweet to be apart of the DA class." He seemed to start as his words before a nervous laugh overtook him. "Enough about that. Wanna grab a bite to eat? A good senpai like myself, I'll buy!"

Mikan merely shook her head and laughed. "Sure!"

Anything to take her mind off of the boy accompanying her on a mission tonight.

* * *

_MHR_


	10. Points Proven and Playful Banter

**Disclaimer: **All recognizable characters belong to Tachibana Higuchi. The rest is mine. :) Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 10:** _Points Proven and Playful Banter  
_

_-;-_

"He's so mean!"

Tsubasa shrugged indifferently, a small grin on his lips. "That's Jinno for you. He's difficult to please and easy to piss off. Misaki lost one of her stars because she got one of his questions wrong. Granted, she was practically sleeping in class, but still…"

Mikan grinned and leaned into the cafeteria table. "So tell me more about Misaki-senpai. She sounds so cool!"

"Cool?" Tsubasa asked curiously. "If cool means being ill-tempered, violent and pushy then sure, she's—" Mikan watched in amusement as Tsubasa yelped after getting smacked in the back of the head by a very pretty girl with dark pink, slightly frizzy hair and identical pink eyes. "What was that for you crazy old lady?" he howled, glaring at her from underneath midnight bangs.

"That's for calling me ill-tempered and violent," the girl named Misaki sniffed. She turned pink eyes on Mikan before putting her hands on her hips and humming. "Yo, kiddo." She appraised her slightly with her eyes before pointing a finger at Tsubasa. "Be careful with this one. He's a pervert-senpai." After sharing a giggle at Tsubasa's expense, Misaki took a seat on the table. "So what's your name?"

"Mikan Sakura," Mikan smiled lightly. "I've heard a lot of stories about you, Misaki-senpai."

This earned Tsubasa another smack upside the head. "What did I do?" he whined, pulling his toque down his forehead with a scowl. "You've really got to mind your hands, woman. I'm already doing poorly in Jinno's class. You don't want me to fail and have to spend another year here, do you? That's just cruel, even for you."

"Well maybe you shouldn't be talking behind my back, you little—"

The sound of the morning bell interrupted Misaki's tirade and Mikan popped up from her seat in a hurry when she heard it. "Run before Jinno hounds you, Mikan-chan!" Tsubasa hollered loudly before Misaki started pulling his ear out of the cafeteria.

Mikan followed quickly, looking for a spot to teleport. She had just started school in the last two weeks. She didn't exactly want to make a bad impression when she still had so much to prove. She was already feeling the brunt of Jinno's wrath. It seemed he had some sort of grudge against her that she couldn't quite pinpoint.

When she checked that she was alone behind one of the large stone columns, she teleported to her room and picked up her books before making her way to her classes. She broke out into a run when she realized her slow pace might cause her to be late for Math class. She suspected Jin-Jin liked making his classes early so that he could put as many kids as he could in detention. If only she could teleport, that would make her life so much easier. As it was, however, she couldn't draw too much attention to her than already was.

After the Natsume-Ruka fanclub incident, a lot of people came up to her with their support or with their glares. Even Sumire Shouda had come up to her to ask for forgiveness. She said she hadn't realized how far the club would go and she was embarrassed as their club leader. Mikan didn't know whether the girl meant it or not, but doing anything other than accept her apology would cause more tension and strain than was necessary.

So Mikan had merely shrugged it off with a smile.

"If you run any faster, you'll flash your panties to everyone," drawled a voice from her right.

The embarrassing statement made Mikan skid to a stop and her eyes whipped past milling students to find Natsume's dark red eyes. She narrowed hers on him warily, "I hope you're not talking to me."

Natsume shrugged before continuing on his way and since they had class together, she begrudgingly fell into step behind him. "You're walking awfully slow for somebody who's been late to almost every class I've been to."

"Your powers of observation are astounding," Natsume said dryly. "Maybe that's because I don't care about class to worry about coming late or not. They should be happy I decide to go at all."

"Well aren't you a pocket full of sunshine?" Mikan commented lightly. "What's up with the attitude? I know you can't possibly be that arrogant, Natsume."

Natsume sent her a sharp look before they turned the corner to walk the last stretch to the math class. "I figure if I'm dying everyday far earlier than I should, spending my days in class isn't how I'd like to live them."

Mikan smiled sadly and stopped outside the classroom. "You're a Limitless, huh?"

Natsume didn't respond. Instead, he lifted his eyebrow with his hand on the door. "After classes, come over to my room," he said lowly. "I'll brief you on the mission tonight."

-;-

By the time Mikan teleported to the trees a quarter mile away from the Academy gates, it was already a quarter to eleven. If she hadn't woken up so late from her nap, she would have had no qualms with barging into Natsume's room and walking to the meeting spot together. As it was, however, she felt like a cheat for teleporting most of the way there.

She'd squeezed herself into a black outfit, tied her hair up into a bun and stuffed it into a black toque. It never occurred to her that she may be taking the whole mission business too seriously until she ran toward the gates in time to see Natsume wearing his customary school uniform paired with a heavier running shoe. He eyed her ensemble underneath his black cat mask.

The amusement radiating off of him made her want to karate chop his mask in half.

"Laugh it up," Mikan hissed at him as they waited for Persona to arrive. "Wearing an Academy uniform _definitely _won't give our enemies a clue as to who we're working for at all."

"Everybody in the DA class goes on missions in their uniform," Natsume said simply, his voice slightly muffled behind the mask. "Besides, we're the only ones with animal masks on our faces. It's not like there's really anybody else willing to go against the AAO. Nice getup, Cat Woman."

"You're the one wearing the cat mask, little neko," Mikan taunted blandly before she slid her mask onto her face. "Don't get in my way and this mission will go as smooth as butter."

She watched as Natsume looked ready to retort before Persona appeared before them, as silent as a ghost, and looked at the two carefully. Natsume immediately straightened and gave Persona his full attention. Mikan followed suit.

"Silver Cheetah, Black Cat. You've already been briefed, so you know about your invasion of the AAO. Their biological weapons are dangerous to our kind and their shipment of supplies must be decimated using whatever means necessary."

"Understood," Mikan said softly, feeling Natsume turn his eyes toward her.

"Don't put yourselves in unnecessary danger," Persona leered lowly. "I'll have your heads if you render yourselves incapable of taking on more missions." It sounded like a threat, but Mikan knew him well enough to know he would be sorry to find them dead. He had a funny way of showing he cared. In actuality, sometimes it was even a wonder if he had emotions at all, but Persona was human just like everybody else and Mikan wasn't stupid enough to say otherwise.

"Gotcha," Mikan grinned.

With that said, he disappeared as the gates began opening and their ride appeared.

The both of them settled into the car and felt the car jolt forward. An awkward silence fell upon the both of them as the mission loomed in the forefront of their minds. When the car stalled in front of a fenced area, Mikan caught the familiar surroundings and said lowly, "They kept her in one of these warehouses."

Natsume paused to get his bearings before he wrenched the door open more forcefully than needed. "Don't get in my way," he said lowly. "This is your first mission. Just watch and learn."

"Presumptuous little creep," Mikan replied softly. "Who do you think saved your sister?"

He didn't respond, but merely assessed their surroundings. Before she followed, Mikan lightened the tone of her voice. "Let's make a bet, Hyuuga."

Natsume turned to face her and she could feel his incredulity as he pulled on his fireproof gloves. "A bet?"

"Yes, a bet," Mikan replied smugly when she caught the interest in his tone. "I bet you'll be more of a liability than I will on this mission. If I take up more responsibility in this mission, you have to go on a date with Hotaru Imai."

"What? Why would you wish me on your best friend?" Natsume drawled curiously. "She drives me nuts."

"Are you afraid you'll lose?"

He turned to her, annoyed now. "No, I'm not afraid. I'm trying to spare you, little girl. Fine, I'll take up your bet. But if you end up being more of a liability than me, you'll be my breakfast slave for the rest of the month _and _you'll go on a date with Mochu."

Mikan gaped. "That boar who attacked me on the first day because I was talking smack to you?"

She could almost hear Natsume's smirk. "Are you afraid you'll lose?" he echoed her words, holding out a hand to shake.

With a clenched jaw, Mikan slapped his palm and shook roughly. "You're on."

Heightening her senses, Mikan searched the area with her X-Ray vision to see any potential threats lurking in the distance. Other than the animals lurking around, she realized this was much like her last visit to the AAO headquarters. There were armed men surrounding the entirety of the grounds.

Mikan sighed and tapped her mask more securely onto her face.

From beside her, Natsume surged forward into a jog that quickly morphed into a sprint. He was much faster than she was and it took her speed alice to keep up with him. With her vision still heightened, she watched the obstacles ahead. "Bank to your left," she said softly, watching as he did so without question. When they made it to the first of the warehouses and began running between the alleys, she whispered, "Be careful. There are two armed guards at the mouth of the alley. Either wall. You take the left."

When they surged out of the alley, she quickly moved to her right and disabled the gun from the man and muffled his shout with her hand. She used the base of the gun to knock him out cold before she threw the gun up into the air, watching as Natsume set it aflame. Their synchronized actions made her smile. She could almost feel Natsume roll his eyes as they continued forward.

"Armed man at your ten o'clock," Mikan rushed out quickly.

Natsume sent a stream of flame from his palm and it was the intense heat that made her realize with a start that he was using his alice needlessly. She didn't need to worry about her alice use. She wasn't the Limitless type. At least, she didn't think she was. With a start, she grabbed his wrist and sent out a stream of her own fire after her nullification stopped his.

Natsume froze under her palms for a long moment. "You have a lot of explaining to do when we get back," Natsume murmured softly, before he broke out into another run. Mikan followed suit with a heavy heart. What she saw up ahead made her grab Natsume's wrist once more.

At his questioning glance, she put a finger to her lips to signal silence before her body shimmered and disappeared completely. At his grunt of alarm, she touched his wrist, grabbing hold of it gently and they both watched as he shimmered into nothingness. Quietly, she explained, "There are a slew of men up ahead. It's best if we just walk past them to avoid unnecessary conflict."

She walked quickly beside him, avoiding the pattering of their feet if they ran. She whispered to him to avoid the red lights he couldn't see and soon, they were even walking past a man with his pants down his knees and a goofy smile of relief on his face. Mikan tightened her grip on his wrist then and she thought she felt a shudder of amusement go through his body.

When they made it to warehouse fifteen, Natsume indicated to a window close by with his free hand and wordlessly told her they would go through there. Just as silently, Mikan shook her head and used her alice to pull them through the wall. Natsume's eyes were large in his head and the image was almost enough to make her giggle aloud.

The moment was short-lived when the armed men she saw in the other room burst through the doors with their guns at the ready. Natsume stiffened, but she held firm. If they shot at the both of them, it would go through their bodies. She wasn't worried. Natsume, on the other hand, moved quickly in front of her almost instinctively and the reaction made her squeak in surprise.

The wandering guns pointed at them immediately pointed in their direction and fired.

Natsume gasped from beside her, but neither of them was harmed.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," came a voice from the doorway. Walking through the armed men, a man with glistening velvet eyes looked around the room. His hand went up to his earring and he loosened it enough to say, "Don't resist arrest. Come forward and disable your invisibility."

With an quick inhale, Mikan teleported the both of them from the room to the next and realized with a start that she was staring at a bunch of crates lined up against the walls. It was nothing extremely impressive. She expected hundreds of boxes of medical equipment and explosives, but merely found perhaps forty or fifty crates against the wall.

Looking quickly at Natsume, he raised a hand to use his alice but found it ineffective. Mikan shook her head immediately before using her own copy of his alice to shoot off a dozen flames at the far wall. There was a shout of alarm before men began trickling into the room.

"Reo!"

Mikan pressed her back against the wall opposite the growing flame and the both of them watched as the man from before came into the room. "What the hell happened?" he roared. "Seiji, use your alice goddamnit! Are you stupid?"

Immediately, there was a stream of water used to douse the flames.

Natsume leaned down to her ear to say, "Bigger flames."

"I can't or they'll see where we are," she hissed back, watching as the fire slowly ebbed. "I can't use too many alices or I'll faint."

"The Black Cat is here," Reo said clearly, hands in his pockets. He looked so calm. "He's here and he obviously has some kind of invisibility device with him." At this, Mikan scowled. "Come out, Black Cat, or we'll air you out."

With a scowl, Mikan pulled them out the entryway before she let go of Natsume's wrist, immediately rendering him visible. She pushed him away from the entrance of the room and the men in the area were too busy looking suspiciously or watching the crates get soaked, they didn't think to walk through the doorway and into the hallway.

With that, Mikan immediately teleported to the crates, simultaneously set them aflame, before she unleashed her piece de resistance. She'd always wanted to try out Persona's alice. When she teleported back to Natsume and grabbed his wrist to make him invisible once more, the both of them watched as the black disease spread and engulfed the crates slowly. It licked a path from the top to the bottom and the armed men could do nothing more than watch.

Reo's face drained as he whipped around the room. "Serio!" he called tauntingly. "Hey _Serio_! Come to kill another alice student? Couldn't get enough of Izumi-sensei?"

When the crates disintegrated into nothingness, Natsume and she began running out of the warehouse. Her power was waning, but she would last. It was the use of her copied alices that was sapping all of the energy from her bones. She could hear pattering of feet and the shouts of men. She turned quickly to Natsume and blurted out quickly, "I can get us through this wall, but after that, I can't—"

Natsume moved his wrist out of her hand and clamped his hand in her fist instead. He gave it a little squeeze. "You've done enough."

As they neared the wall, Mikan forced out the last of her Intangible and shoved Natsume through the wall, squeaking when the alice simmered away and her shoe got caught in the wall. It was painful enough to make her cry out and Natsume, with a start, immediately blasted the wall with his alice. The warehouse was wooden and it caught quickly. Mikan tugged her foot out with a stilted sigh.

"Are you okay?"

The invisibility died out quickly and she nodded at him before he helped her to her feet. It was almost…nice, the way he was helping her out. She would have never pegged him to be so gentle. Granted, she didn't exactly think he was going to ditch her or anything, but this was more than she had hoped for. The thought was almost enough to make her smile.

"We have to go," Natsume said urgently, addressing the barrage of running men heading their way. Mikan merely grabbed Natsume's wrist and used the last of her copied alices to teleport them away to the idling backseat of the car they'd arrived in.

She watched as Natsume thumped the back of the driver's seat to jolt the driver into motion and as he looked at her under his black cat mask, she said the only thing that came to mind: "You have to go on a date with Hotaru."

-;-

In his room, slouched on his couch, was Mikan Sakura with her black toque torn off her head and her black sweater thrown over the arm. Her hair was a brown, tumbling mess down the arm of his couch and her legs stretched out on the length. She looked like a sleek cat, resting after a long adventure of some kind.

But why was she in _his _room?

He asked her so and Mikan merely replied without opening her eyes: "Because I'm pretty sure I sapped all of my alice energy completing this mission and I don't have enough willpower to force myself to walk back to my room." She cracked a brown eye open and looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Is that _okay_ with you, Your Highness?"

Natsume snorted. "Sarcasm isn't cute," he informed her easily, walking toward his dresser to find something comfortable to wear for bed after a freaking long day of explosions and Mikan Sakura.

"Who says I'm trying to be cute?" she scoffed with a light laugh. "It's just you. I don't have much to prove and it's not like I have a crush on you or anything."

He pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before turning to look at her with an eyebrow raised. She was already looking at him with a wide grin on her face. "You don't like me?" he asked lightly, throwing his clothes on the bed and turning back for a pair of boxers. "Why not?" He was curious.

She pushed herself against the arm of his sofa until she was sitting with her back against the arm. She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Don't tell me you're being sensitive about it," she called tauntingly. "It's nothing personal. I just don't think you're my type."

Natsume dropped his boxers onto the pile of clothes he planned to tow with him into the shower before he sat down on his bed and gazed at her from across the room. "You should look up the word 'sensitive' because that's not what I'm being," he stated dryly. He flicked at a dust bunny clinging onto his pant leg before asking, "And what's your type anyway?"

"Why do you want to know?" Her tone was seven shades of suspicion.

Natsume rolled his eyes and glared, "Can you stop being difficult? Just answer the damn question, stupid."

"Now that's one way to persuade a girl to divulge her deepest and darkest secrets," the infuriating brunette continued. When he merely shot her another glare, Mikan put her hands up easily and grinned. "Fine, fine. Maybe I don't have a type? I don't know. I don't have any experience with guys enough to have a type, but I don't think you're it."

Natsume frowned at the statement. "Why?"

"You're just full of questions today, aren't you?" Mikan sighed in exasperation, leaning back so that her head dangled over the edge for a moment. "Promise you won't be offended?"

Natsume narrowed his eyes. "When you say something like that, of course I'm going to be prepared to be really fucking offended," he stated bluntly, leaning so that his palms were flat against the bed. "Just spit it out, Sakura."

"You seem like you would be a great friend, but there are way too many girls after you and I just can't handle all of the drama that you'd tow along with you." She shrugged at his incredulous stare and she grinned. "Don't get me wrong, you're not bad-looking… I just don't think I'd be able to handle a guy that people find far prettier than I am."

He swore slightly under his breath and heard her soft giggle. "You're ruling me out because I have a fanbase? That's not exactly fair, is it?"

She shrugged. "It is what it is. Besides," she started, peering up at him from underneath her eyelashes. She probably didn't know, either, but the way she was looking at him could almost be deemed seductive. No, it was definitely running along the lines of sultry if anything and Natsume felt himself swallow when his mouth dried. "I read that when you fall in love, you get all panicky and have butterflies in your stomach and a tingle of electricity that runs to the tips of your toes. I don't have that with you."

"That would just be really fucking weird," he called, standing up and hooking his clothes into one hand. "But if _that's _the criteria you're going to go by, I think you might have to re-evaluate your sources."

"What do you mean?" Her confusion was palpable.

He turned to look at her from the doorway out of his room and into the bathroom with a grin. "I could _definitely _make you feel all of those things and it would have _nothing _to do with love."

"Huh?" The girl tilted her head to the side before an endearing blush stole across the length of her cheek. "S-shut up! Go away and shower. I can smell you from across the room."

"Panicky?" Natsume drawled easily as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Butterflies flying in your stomach yet? Any chills going up and down your spine?" She flushed an even deeper red tone and it made him chuckle under his breath. "If you're not up for going back to your room, you're free to grab a pair of sweats or anything that fits you and you can take a shower after me."

"Shouldn't _I _be the one that showers first? You know, because I'm a girl?" Mikan drawled easily, her nonchalant tone was clearly a jab at his masculinity.

Natsume merely shrugged it off. "Wait… you're a girl…?"

She scowled immediately and stood up so quickly, she stumbled. Natsume laughed. "If you're so worried about showering with cold water, you're free to join me," he grinned seductively, eyeing her position on the ground. "What do you say, Sakura? We could save water… shower together."

"P-perv!" she called, throwing her shoe at the door.

He closed it with a loud laugh and started peeling off his clothes as the shower warmed. By the time he came out of the bathroom ten minutes later, Mikan was back to lying on the couch with one of his mangas in her hands. It was his favourite _Naruto _manga.

Natsume gazed at her from the doorway in amusement. "Do you even know what the hell is going on in there to be reading from some random section of the storyline?"

"Not really," she responded lightly, flicking through the pages. "I like looking at the pictures though, especially the ones of Sasuke. He's pretty, even though he looks constipated all the time. Hey!" she flicked her gaze over to him with a cheeky grin and he just _knew _she was going to say something _nice_. "He's just like you!"

Natsume's eyes narrowed and he laughed humourlessly as he plucked the manga from her hands and pushed her off of the couch. She landed easily on her hands and flipped over enough to land on her butt to glare at him. "What?" she complained sullenly, holding her hand out to get him to help her to her feet.

He ignored her hand and immediately walked to his dresser to throw a pair of sweats and a t-shirt in her face. She looked at the clothes in shock before she held up his pants and glared at him. "I know you don't think I'm a girl, but I _am_. I'm not going to fit into your huge pants!"

"Are you saying I have a fat ass?"

"Yes," was her cheeky reply.

Natsume rolled his eyes and fell onto his bed with his arm over his eyes. "There are drawstrings. Now go shower and give me a moment of peace. Your loud mouth is making me have internal bleeding."

The moment she closed the door of the bathroom, Natsume let his arm drop and he stared at the door intensely. Mikan Sakura was showering in his room. One room over, she was _naked_. What the hell was going on when _girls _were showering in his _room _now? He must be going out of his mind. His eyelids drooped and the bed felt so good against his tensed body.

That mission had been confusing as hell.

The extent of Mikan's abilities was limitless and he still didn't understand the half of it. What was all of that _about_? Sure, he knew she had multiple alices, but this was a bit much, wasn't it? She was able to teleport, go invisible, make objects go _through _them and she had his fire. What the _hell _was up with that? He had so many questions to ask of her and yet his mind was beginning to shut down with fatigue.

He ran a hand down his face and tried to blink himself awake.

_You don't have to ask her today,_ his mind suggested logically. _There's always tomorrow. _

It was true, and he could already feel his body begin to obey his brain's demands. He needed sleep to be able to deal with the enigma that was Mikan Sakura. She was a child with how much energy she had and he was always second guessing and wondering what exactly she was hiding. She was a puzzle left unsolved. She was funny. She was something else—

He felt warmth near him and reflexively, his hand shot out to defend himself.

Mikan shouted in surprise and backtracked before a glare lit up her features. "What the heck is your problem, you stupid cat?" She pointed to the blanket by his feet. "Put that over yourself, you beast. You'll get sick otherwise."

He grunted and kicked the blanket off of him.

It was hot in here and he was too tired to deal with her loud voice.

"Does this mean I have to take the couch? Because if you were a real man, _you _would take the couch—ah!"

Vaguely, it registered in his mind that she was warm and small on the other side of his bed. With fatigue still colouring his senses, he kicked the blanket over onto her side and grunted when she yelped. "What's the big idea, you perv? I am _not _sleeping with you!"

"It's comfier," he pressed his cheek into his pillow. "If you want the fucking couch, then by all means, it's yours. I'm not moving. Also, don't try to cop a feel. I'm a light sleeper."

There was a soft snort as she wiggled on the bed. "Like somebody would try to grope _you_?"

"You have no idea," he murmured tiredly. "Now go to sleep, stupid little girl."

She burrowed around in his bed and vaguely, he thought he heard her say, "Goodnight, Pervert," but the clouds had already claimed him and he didn't bother to resist their gentle hold.

* * *

_MHR_


	11. Author's Note

_Author's Note:_

___-;-_

This story is being discontinued. The remaining chapters of this story were lost when I got a virus and unfortunately, I do not have the time to rewrite them. I apologize for the delay and I hope you enjoy the rest of the stories on this site.

Thank you for following my stories.

May you find escapist pleasures elsewhere.

Sincerely,

_MHR_


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